The Prodigal Nightmare
by Naught The President
Summary: An old foe has escaped Arkham, and Batgirl, along with an unlikely ally, are the only ones that can stop him. But will they be enough to stop the new and improved... Killer Moth? Chapter 7 is up!
1. Chapter 1

What's happening, ladies and gentlemen? This is my first fanfic, so any comment you guys have would be greatly appreciated. I have already written down most of chapter two on my notebook, it just needs to be typed. So, without further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: Batman and all Batman characters mentioned are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Enjoy!

The Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 1: Batman vs. Penguin

Gotham City. Home to nearly 8 million people, seventy percent of which live in poverty. The wealthy thirty percent are either bought and paid for politicians, or crime bosses who have nothing to lose and everything to gain, or in most cases, buy. But that doesn't always mean that there aren't honest people.

First, there is James Gordon, commissioner for the Gotham City Police Department, and long time ally in the fight against organized crime. His partner/mentor, Harvey Bullock, is one of those honest people as well, just a little most hard-headed than most.

Then there is Bruce Wayne. Playboy billionaire. Spends most of his money on luxury cars, beach houses on islands no one has ever heard of, the islands themselves; usual rich people stuff. But, in fact, he has done more for the city of Gotham than most people give him credit for. On occasion, he has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to orphanages across the city, helped eliminate homelessness by fifty percent in the last decade, even donated substantial amounts of dollars to the GCPD, much to the commissioner's chagrin.

Finally, there's another man. A man no criminal has escaped from unscathed. A man who represents the honesty and the soul of Gotham. Some say he's just an urban myth, others say he's a demon, others say he's an angel. A protector, a monster, a spirit, an alien; so many rumors and stories about this one dark entity, but for those who know him, those who fear him, those who have seen him in all his dark glory only know him as...

"Batman!"

Shots were fired, thousands of those flaming needles reaching nothing but the cold December night as the thugs attempted to shoot down the Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader landed effortlessly into the snow, launched himself towards the gunman closest to him, then threw him to a shipping crate on the other side of the field.

The goon to Batman's left pulled a hunting knife from his boot and swung expertly at the Bat. Unfortunately for the goon, Batman was just as experienced in knife-fighting, ten-fold in fact, and dodged every swipe of the enemy's knife. As the thug thrusted his knife at the Batman, aiming for his gut, the Dark Knight blocked it with his palm, leaving the knifeman open for him to deliver two kicks, one to his abdomen, one to his chin, and delivered a swift roundhouse to the man's cheek, leaving him unconscious.

Three goons were left standing, according to Batman's line of sight, and they were all trembling in fear as he made his way to the lone henchman behind him who was holding his pistol in his shaking hands. The Dark Knight's cape surrounding his form as he slowly walked to him.

"Stay back!" the shaking gunman exclaimed as he pointed his gun at him with both hands, attempting to steady his aim. Batman's feet never faltered, clearly ignoring him, and continued to walk towards him.

"I said stay back!" the gunman exclaimed once more before he finally had the gall to shoot him point blank in the chest. To his shock, the bullet bounced off his chest as Batman's cape was covering the majority of his body. Little to his knowledge, the cape and cowl were actually designed to protect the Caped Crusader from oncoming gunfire, tasers, and the occasional Ms. Selina Kyle who every now and then, meaning almost every day, would decide to ogle at Batman's physique.

Sooner than the thug had anticipated, Batman was already in front of him. A foot taller than the thug, shoulders wide as if he had shoulder pads, and eyes whiter than the snow beneath their feet, blank but more ferocious than that of a lion's.

"Please", the thug whimpered. All Batman did was look at him. Then delivered a head-butt, knocking him unconscious.

The crime-fighter looked to his side and saw the last two thugs, wielding semi-automatics, shaking in their boots, not unlike how their last buddy was acting not even a half-minute earlier. Batman looked at them, giving them an evil grin that only meant one thing: pain.

The thugs shared the same frightened look, dropped their guns and ran as if their lives depended on it. As they were running, the sound of a gun firing was heard and one of the thugs dropped on the snow covered ground, then looked up in shock. He knew what had just transpired: his foot was caught by the Bat's grappling hook. He heard the sound of a wire being pulled back, and soon, so was he. As he was screaming bloody murder, his buddy never stopped running and was about to reach his getaway car, a sleek black Lincoln he got from his boss, until he felt something hit his head. If he learned anything from the stories about the Dark Knight, he can almost be sure he got hit by one of his Batarangs.

With his vision returning, the thug felt large, strong hands on his bony shoulders and lifted him up, pushing him to the crate behind him. He finally saw the face of his nightmares. The square chin, riddled with black dots of his five o'clock shadow, the leather of his cowl with tall ears, standing at attention, and eyes of the Devil himself.

"Where's the Penguin?" asked Batman with his strong hands still on the thugs shoulders. The Bat's voice was dark, ominous, threatening with no obvious effort, as if he was born with the voice of evil incarnate.

"I-I don't know," the thug whimpered, willing to tell the Batman everything as long as he gave him a quick and painless end. "He-He only told us to watch the crates while he was out doing business with some 'associates'. He never said who though."

"What's in the crates?"

"Guns. Lots of 'em. Military grade. Rumor has it that some of the boss's 'associates' gave these to him as a loan, in exchange for a body."

"Whose body?"

"The Re-"

He would never get the chance to finish his sentence, as a gunshot was heard, followed by the thug getting a single hole on his forehead, with brain matter plastered on the crate behind him. This shocked even the Batman as he took a step back and watched as the thug fell lifelessly on the ground like a rag doll. That was when the Dark Knight heard the maniacal laughter of one short, stocky, arms-dealing Gothamite with a British accent known as Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, AKA, The Penguin.

"Well, spilled like a can a beans, he did," The Penguin snickered as he brought his umbrella, which was smoking from the tip from where the bullet shot from, down and used it as a makeshift walking stick. "Can't have any snitches in the business, eh boys?" he continued as he motioned his two goons to step forward. One was holding another umbrella above Cobblepot's head, the other holding a lighter in one hand and a cigar in the other.

"Cobblepot," Batman sneered with a tinge of disgust in his voice.

Penguin motioned with his free hand towards the goon with the cigar and put it in his boss's mouth and lit it up with the lighter. As Cobblepot blew out the smoke he continued his speech.

"Y'know, I can see the curiosity in your eyes. You already know what's in these here crates. Imagine, Batman, all of this fine weaponry, just ripe for the pickin'."

"I'm going to give you one last chance, Cobblepot," Batman said, clearly ignoring what The Penguin had just said. "You can give yourself up right now, and maybe I'll send you to Blackgate without any broken bones."

"That's quite a tempting offer, Batman," Penguin said sarcastically. "But I'm afraid I'll have to decline." The Penguin waved his hand, and out of nowhere, two snipers revealed themselves on the bird's nest, the two goons on either side of Cobblepot dropped everything and pulled their semi-automatics from their backs, and other armed thugs appeared from behind and the crate next to him, almost as if it was magic. And he should know, he used to date Zatanna.

"Is that all?" asked Batman in a deadpan voice, clearly unimpressed.

"Oh, come on, Batman. Even you have to admit that with all of these fine men carrying the latest in military warfare that surrounds you, you're a little afraid," said Penguin, waving his cigar at him.

If he was honest with himself, under normal circumstances, Batman would've had a little trouble taking all of these men down, including Cobblepot. Not that he wouldn't have succeeded, of course, but he would still have suffered some lacerations and flesh wounds, results from state-of-the-art military grade bullets making hard contact with the Kevlar of his Batsuit. But these were not normal circumstances.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

"Trust me, Penguin, I'm not the one who should be afraid," said Batman with an evil smirk spread across his face.

Oswald saw that smirk. Even though he failed time and time again, all he has ever wanted to do was wipe that smug little grin, and the rest of his being, off the face of existence. He felt that it was his destiny, the one he dreadfully shared with the rest of the rogues of this godforsaken city, and he'll be damned if he didn't fulfill it.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Batman didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even move, not that he needed to, as the two snipers from the birds-nest fell from the railing and were screaming as they were awaiting to make contact with the boat, but it never came as they were halted by the ropes gripping their ankles.

Penguin and the rest of his henchmen looked up at where the snipers were previously stationed and saw the silhouette of a… petite figure before said figure threw a smoke bomb at the bald kingpin and the two gunmen at his sides.

"Don't just stand there, you bloody wankers! Get up there and KILL 'EM!" Penguin screamed at his goons, who he could not see as his peripheral vision was covered in smoke, as was the rest of starboard.

The figure did a mock salute to the Dark Knight, who had not moved since the smoke bomb was thrown to Cobblepot, and dived right into it, leaving Batman to take down the rest of the goons. Luckily for him, they were all a little flabbergasted that someone other than the Caped Crusader himself had made it to the scene, and wasn't Robin. His guess was that these were rookies, unaware that the Dark Knight has an extended family, a "Batfamily" of sorts, and a whole "Batman Incorporated" all over the world, so men like these weren't a real threat.

Batman pulled out three Batarangs from his belt, one for each gunmen behind him and swiftly threw them, like a ninja with his shurikens, only using a fraction of his power and strength to knock them unconscious, which they did.

The armed henchmen on the crate next to him quickly opened fire, but threw down his very own smoke bomb, much like his mysterious ally on the boat, disappearing from sight. Behind the smoke, The Dark Knight fired his grappling hook at one of the assailants, but instead of pulling him towards Batman, the hook actually allowed the Caped Crusader to soar towards said assailant, clotheslining him in the process.

The lone gunman behind him tried to strike him in the head with the butt of his gun, but Batman countered it by grabbing the rifle and pulling it from his grasp, then swung it to the thugs head like a baseball bat. The three left standing tried to shoot him down, but it proved futile as Batman easily dodged them and delivered an uppercut to the gunman in the front, rendering him out cold. The gunmen resorted to melee, but, once again, Batman was far more experienced as he blocked every punch and kick they delivered and once they were both open, grabbed both of their heads and bashed them together, leaving the Dark Knight the last man standing.

The smoke on the boat finally cleared, giving Batman the chance to fire his grappling hook on the railing and setting foot on the starboard. On the floor was Penguin and his two henchmen, bruised and battered as they were bound together by a single bolo rope. As Batman finally reached them, they stirred out of their unconsciousness and looked up at the Caped Crusader.

"You should've taken my offer when you had the chance, Cobblepot," Batman spoke smugly.

"Especially since arms dealing is so mainstream."

Even though Cobblepot couldn't turn around, he knew who that voice belonged to. The figure that apprehended the two snipers and the Penguin, standing before them now was none other than…

"Batgirl," Penguin sneered.

Batgirl stood heroically behind them, with her fists planted on her hips. Her form fitting black outfit reflected off the light of the full moon that was hoisted up high in the dead night. Her gauntlets, boots and bat-symbol shined a rich gold, while her utility belt wielded the same hue but without the luster. Her black and yellow cape waved with the wind current, as did her red hair, which, along with her mouth and eyes, was the only thing that wasn't hidden by her black cowl that had smaller ears than that of her mentor.

"Have you alerted the police, Batgirl?" Batman asked with a deep, but less intimidating voice.

"Yeah, I called up Commissioner Gordon and he said he's bringing up some feds to get Penguin and his goons. I also alerted Christmas and Montoya to take care of all these guns," Batgirl said. Her voice was like that of a teenage girl, but still with more authority. "Shouldn't be long now, though."

As soon as she said that, sirens were blaring on the far side of the pier, followed by the sight of patrol cars and bright lights of blue and red.

"Well speak of the devil," Batgirl mentioned. She then picked up Penguin by the collar of his fur coat.

"Next stop: Blackgate."


	2. The Secret Origin of Barbara Gordon

The Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 2: Secret Origin of Barbara Gordon

As The Penguin and his hired help were being dragged away in the GCPD and FBI squad cars, Batman and Batgirl were watching the whole thing happen as they were perched along the edge of a building not too far away.

"You know Penguin's a crafty little dwarf," said Batgirl, not taking her eyes away from the scene below them. "How do you know he just won't escape again?"

"Penguin always notifies his henchmen before doing anything else," Batman explained. "Since he doesn't trust mobile devices, he usually prefers two-way radios for communications. While I was taking down his gunmen, I managed to swipe a SIM card and inserted it in my gauntlet. The computer will instantly read the data, so whenever he decides to contact them…"

"You'll be five steps ahead of him," Batgirl finished.

"Aren't I always?"

As she chuckled at his question, she felt the nostalgia she had been feeling ever since she had moved from Downtown Gotham to Burnside. It's still the same city, but it might've been a whole other world, as it didn't feel right in her stomach to move into such different territory.

It made her miss the Batcave even more.

She missed Bruce being the overprotective father with an IQ of, like, a billion, and muscles like cement. She missed Damian and Dick fighting over every little thing, no matter how small. They were like pillows and corrosive acid, which was even worse than Dick and Jason's relationship. She missed Tim being a little twerp, but also like a sweet little brother, even though he can be a pain. She even missed Jason.

_Jason_, she thought dreamily.

"So how's Burnside?" asked Batman, jogging her out of her trance.

"It's alright. A little smaller than what I'm used to but I'm not complaining. School there is good, too. Graduate school is a piece of cake," Batgirl said with a small but smug smile on her face.

"Do you miss the Manor?"

Her smile reverted back to her sad frown as she hesitated to answer. The Manor was like her home away from home. It was where she trained, where she slept when she got in some stupid fight with her father, and it was also where she met Dick. Though they haven't been on equal terms lately, she could always count on him. She loved that place, but if she wanted to be independent and spread her little bat-wings, she had to leave.

Batman walked up to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. When she looked up at him, even though his cowl was still on his face, she didn't see Batman, the symbol, she saw Bruce Wayne, the man.

"If you ever decide to come back to the Manor, we'll be more than happy to welcome you with open arms, Barbara."

Barbara Gordon, the commissioner's daughter, looked up at her mentor, her idol, her second father, and smiled.

"Will Alfred make his special fish and chips? With the secret Pennyworth family recipe?" she asked.

"He'll be in that kitchen before you even get here."

"Thank you, Bruce," Barbara said. Before he made his way to the Batwing parked behind them, she hugged him fiercely. She always felt warmest when she was with him. Her dad was the greatest she could ever hope for; they'd die for each other if the fates allowed, but the warmth wasn't as strong when they embraced. But when she and Bruce shared a hug, she felt like she smothered by the warmth of the sun's rays, making her feel safe and invincible.

_Now I know how Kara feels_, Barbara thought.

She reluctantly let go, remembering that Bruce had to go, saving the day and what not. Batman climbed up Batwing and settled in his seat. Barbara waved goodbye as the Caped Crusader flew off in his jet, back to the Batcave, leaving her all alone, once again.

The sadness came back, the memories from way-back-when flooded her mind as the cold air bit down on her when the adrenalin finally deteriorated. Her suit wasn't helping her out at all, the leather of her form fitting outfit made it worse when it was being pummeled by freezing winds and snow. Thankfully, she came prepared.

In an alley a few buildings down, there's a dumpster where she puts an old backpack, filled with civilian clothed, a case for her glasses and medical supplies in case she gets injured and the Batcave was too far away. The clothes she grabbed for tonight were a pair of blue jeans, purple Chuck Taylor Converse, a black long-sleeved shirt and a purple hoodie.

As soon as she got all dressed, put on her glasses and slung one backpack strap on her shoulder, which carried her freezing Batgirl uniform, Barbara walked out of the alley and made her way to her apartment. It was barely two in the morning, so her roommate, Alycia, was either out in the club with random guys surrounding her peripheral vision or in bed, sleeping like a log on her bed which had never been made since _she_ moved in. Either way, she wouldn't see her best friend suspiciously sneak in after another night of crime-fighting. That's what really mattered.

As she was walking down 25th street, her stomach suddenly had a mind of its own and growled like nobody's business, validating that she had not eaten anything in hours. She then spotted a small Mexican restaurant on the corner of the street and made her way there to satiate her hunger.

Once inside, the smell of grilled meat and melting cheese hung heavily in the air, making Barbara's stomach become ravenous. The décor in the restaurant was to be expected. The table cloths had floral patterns with colors of red, yellow, and pink. The paintings on the walls showed tall _caballeros _with bands of _mariachis_ serenading the beautiful woman in the window. Three televisions, one for each corner save for the one above the front door, all showed different _novelas_, either from Mexico or in the U.S.

The waitresses wore simple outfits, white button-down shirts with black slacks, with aprons of the same color with pockets filled with notepads and straws for when they bring in the drinks. The food that they were serving, which she knew were only a fraction of what was really on the menu, looked absolutely delicious. _Gorditas _filled with steaming meat and melting cheese, _tortas_ stuffed with veggies, avocado and other meats, and the sounds of sizzling and the feeling of warmth was enough for her to nearly faint in food euphoria.

She stepped towards an empty booth and sat down, just before a young waitress appeared before her, notepad and menu already in hand.

"_Hola, señorita_, what would you like to order today?" asked the waitress, with a cute and bright smile on her young, but tired face face.

"I'll have the shrimp tacos, but without the onions," Barbara said, giving her menu back to the waitress.

"Anything to drink?" the waitress asked as she wrote down Barbara's order.

"Just a beer."

"Coming right up."

The waitress finally left, leaving Barbara alone in the booth. She looked around the establishment, and even though the place had a few occupants, she couldn't help but feel the isolation in her once again.

_Everyone's leaving me tonight_, Barbara thought. _Everyone has always been leaving me. Dick left me for Starfire, Bruce left me for his cape and cowl, even all of Gotham left me to so I could live in Burnside._

_ Jason left me because he thought he needed to be Dick Grayson to make me happy. _

With all of these thoughts of loneliness, Barbara couldn't help but feel a small tear making its way down her pale, freckled cheek. She quickly wiped it off and decided to think about something else to rid herself of those damned thoughts. One that always made her happy every time it came to her head, made her feel important and powerful.

Her first time as Batgirl.

_The outfit was supposed to be a Halloween costume for party at her friend's house, she was a huge fan of the Caped Crusader, and since he was friends with her father, James Gordon, it gave her all the more reason to dress up as a gender-bend version of her favorite superhero._

_ At the party, she was busy dancing when she heard someone yell out that Killer Moth had managed to kidnap Batman and Robin just under an hour ago. The music stopped and people were frantic, asking whether or not the police were on the case, and said that they weren't, that the maniac, Firefly, was keeping them busy. While the party people were too busy panicking, she took her laptop and left the building. _

_ Finding Killer Moth was pretty easy. The rogue was as smart as a lobotomized Clayface. He was clumsy, over-fascinated with the Dark Knight, and a clear case of a superiority complex. Barbara, being a novice in hacking in major criminal databases in the city and, well, every other database in the world, was able to locate Killer Moth by cross-referencing all of the local hotspots that he has been in in the last few months, pinpointing three different places, then she hacked the CCTV cameras around said locations and finally found his Mothmobile, a van that she believed once belonged to an exterminator, as it had a huge plastic moth on the roof of the vehicle, and the words "Mothmobile" on the side, pull up at the Natural Science Museum in Park Row. She did all of this using her laptop she got for her birthday and free McDonald's WiFi._

_ With her still wearing her Halloween costume, she stepped out of the burger joint and climbed on her black motorcycle, her other birthday present, and drove off to save the day, er, night. _

_ She finally made it to her destination, and didn't bother to hesitate to walk through the front door, painfully aware that Killer Moth was too busy ranting about how Batman and Robin would always foil his plots and vow to wreak his vengeance across the city, Kind of pathetic, if you think about it. _

_Since the bug-based rogue was so predictable, she made a quick turn to the Insect Wing, hearing demented laughter bouncing off the walls as she closer and closer to the double doors that led to the room._

_ As she opened the doors, very casually, she might add, she found herself in huge garden, where the trees were almost reaching the glass dome that was the ceiling and the flaura was vibrant with colors of reds, blues, yellows and a whole lot of green. Amid all the botanical landscape, bugs of all kinds were flying, buzzing, crawling and jumping all around, making her skin crawl, no pun intended. _

_ But what really got under her skin was what was in the center of the garden. In the center of the room was a tall and wide vat of chemicals and acids, glowing a sickly green hue, boiling and steaming. Above it was the Dynamic Duo, unconscious and hoisted upside down by a rope that was wrapped around their feet and waists, the rope leading to the roof. Next to the vat was a tall pedestal with the villain in question, Killer Moth, acting all high and mighty with Batman and Robin's utility belts in one hand and a handgun in the other. Ah, the simpler times. _

_ To be honest, Barbara had actually never seen a super-villain before she met Killer Moth. Sure, being the daughter of the commissioner of the GCPD, she'd seen a lot of whack-jobs and lowlifes come and go, but never a super-villain like Penguin or Two-Face or even The Joker. Killer Moth, even though he's a pathetic rogue, even more so than The Ventriloquist, was an interesting sight to see. The majority of the Kevlar on his outfit was black the pads on his shoulders, elbows and knees a bright shade of purple, the same color of his gloves and combat boots. His utility belt was somewhat similar to Batman's, but the belt buckle was shaped like a moth, with its wings spread out, the same symbol as the one on the middle of his chest. His pants were blood red with mustard yellow straps for his two pistols and clips. His lime green helmet was pure metal, with plexi-glass eyes that bulged out, not unlike those of a fly or a bee, and antennae that looked pretty high-tech, probably used to listen to police radios or communicate with the other rogues. He even had a jetpack like object on his back with transparent moth wings that have yet to unfurl themselves, making it appear a like a crystal-clear cape. At this moment, he actually looked pretty menacing. If he wasn't too busy talking. _

_ "Finally," started Killer Moth. "Finally, the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, will take the ultimate plunge in my very own Acid Moth-Bath! Then, once you're out of the picture, Gotham City will at last be mine! HAHAHAHAHA!"_

_ "You know, your laughing makes even The Joker want to shoot himself."_

_ The crazed, bug inspired villain stopped his cackling and looked around, surprised that someone else was in the building until his eyes laid on the bat-clad red head. Still in her costume. _

_ "What? Who are you supposed to be?" asked Killer Moth, slightly confused._

_ "I think the costume kind of speaks for itself, don't you think?" Barbara replied as she pulled out a Batarang, which was originally meant to make the costume more authentic, not an actual weapon for combat, and threw it at Moth. The bat-shaped shuriken immediately made contact with the hand that had the two utility belts, knocking them from his grasp._

_ "Ow!" yelped Killer Moth. "Why you little…" Moth grimaced as he used his good hand to point his gun at Barbara._

_ "Wha-oh," Babs said as she ran into the foliage, running away as she heard three loud pops hit the ground from where she was standing just seconds before, and hid behind the large trees to hide her form. The tree itself was riddled with different insects and other unusual bugs. She had to hold her scream in her mouth as a centipede was crawling up her arm, but the sound of another, bigger bug caught her attention. _

_ "I don't know who you think you are, Ginger-Bat," Killer Moth began._

Ginger-Bat? _Barbara thought. _Really?

_ "… but let's get one thing straight here. Batman and Robin are unconscious because of me. You're here, hiding for your life, because of me! The city will be in chaos because of ME! I AM KILLER MOTH, AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!"_

Okay, _Barbara thought. _Maybe he is a little more intimidating than I thought.

_Killer Moth did manage to apprehend the city's top heroes, something that was extremely difficult to do. So when a lightweight like Moth managed to do it in one night, that lightweight could get a lot of credibility in the villain game like The Joker or Bane or Hush. Barbara grew a little scared to think that someone who gets laughed at constantly by both heroes and villains, and then out of the blue, managed to become one of the most dangerous rogues in the city, it could get kind of hard to laugh at him now. _

_ As Barbara tried to hide behind another tree, hoping she wouldn't step on a twig and get caught, she spotted something that she could use to her advantage. She couldn't use another Batarang, she only had the one, and if she did had another one, she couldn't guarantee a point-blank shot. It wasn't a gun, but it could serve as a distraction before she decided to jump him. _

_ She could only pray. _

_ She picked the object from the branch from where it was hanging with both hands, appeared out of the garden behind Moth and called him out._

_ "Hey! Killer Moth!" _

_ The villain turned around to see the red-headed she-bat, holding a peculiar object no larger than a football, appeared to be made out of lint and had a gaping hole in the middle._

_ "Say hello to killer Hornets!" she yelled as she threw the Hornet's nest at Killer Moth, expecting him to either catch it or get hit by it. Apparently, it was the former and stared wide-eyed as the hornets shot out at his masked face. _

_ "AHHH! BEEEES!" Killer Moth yelled in fear, completely unaware that he had no exposed skin anywhere on his armored body for the hornets to sting him, but he was too scared to notice and ran away, dropping the firearm in the process._

_ "BEEEEES!" Killer Moth yelled out again._

_ "Um, they're actually hornets. Not bees," Barbara quietly corrected, eyes wide in wonder how a super-villain could run away from something his entire alternate persona was inspired by. _

_ She continued to stare at Killer Moth, unable to steer away from the bugs' line of sight, as he pressed on his moth-shaped belt buckle on his utility belt, which caused his unfurled moth wings to spread wide, flapping slowly at first until it gained momentum and buzzed like that of a fly, giving him the ability to fly. Once his feet got off the ground, he immediately soared through the glass dome of the ceiling and into the raining Halloween night._

_ Barbara looked at the broken glass above, still wide-eyed at what had just occurred, then she smiled to herself, partly because she made a joke in her head about how a mighty Moth-man was brought down by a big bad bat and a horde of hornets. But also, she had realized that not only brought down a super-villain, but she also saved Batman and Robin's lives all by herself. _

_ That's when it hit her._

_ "Oh my God! Batman and Robin! I totally forgot!" she yelled at herself as she remembered why she was here in the first place. She turned around and headed towards the still unconscious Dynamic Duo until she heard a moaning. She looked up and saw both the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder stir until they awoke. Robin was the first to speak._

_ "Huh? What happened?" he asked as he looked around in confusion. _

_ "I just saved your lives, that's what," Barbara said with a smug but proud smile on her face._

_ "And who are you?" Batman asked with conviction in his deep and gravelly voice._

Huh? _Barbara thought. _I never actually thought of a name for myself. I can't use my real name, they'll know who I am. Well let's see: I'm a girl, I'm dressed like a bat. I wonder who I could be.

_"I'm Batgirl," she said finally._

_ "Batgirl, huh? That's a cool name. Hey, uh, could you do us a favor and GET US DOWN FROM HERE?!" Robin yelled out. _

_ While Batgirl was saving the lives of the Dynamic Duo, her father led the GCPD against the villain Firefly and was victorious. This was her first day as a super-hero, and it would be the greatest moment of her life. For now and forever._

"_Señora_?" Barbara heard someone ask.

"Huh? What?" she asked as she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings and remembering where she was.

"_Ay, lo siento, señora. _You were asleep so I had to wake you up. Your food and beer is ready, in case you still want it," said the waitress.

"Oh, yes, of course," she said as she took the small plate with her shrimp tacos and her beer. The waitress smiled as she walked back to the kitchen, leaving Barbara with her food, drink and thoughts.

Barbara checked her watch and saw that she had supposedly been asleep for half an hour. Not believing she had slept that long, she popped the cap off of her beer and dove right into her tacos. But before she could even take one bite, a voice behind her began.

"You look like you could use more than just one beer."

She turned around, slightly annoyed, and spotted a man in a brown leather jacket with a gray undershirt, jeans and a tuft of white in his pitch-black hair. Him being here made her drop both her jaw and her taco on her plate.

"Hey, Barbie."

"Jason?"


	3. Jason Todd's Day Off

The Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 3: Jason Todd's Day Off

"Hey, Barbie."

"Jason?"

The Red Hood grinned at her, his half-smile that was once reserved for her whenever he flirted with her when he was Robin back in the day. That smile that she had missed so much when he went missing, finding out later that night that The Joker had mercilessly murdered him. She nearly chilled at the thought if she wasn't already frozen at his current presence.

"You okay, Barbie? You look like you've seen a ghost, and I don't think Deadman likes to visit Gotham just to go to a Mexican restaurant at 3 o'clock in the morning," Jason said as he sat in front of her on the other side of the booth, his grin never fading from his pale face.

Her mouth was still open. Her mind was in a million places at once, asking a million questions at the same time, all involving the situation before her. Why was he here? How long had he been in Gotham? Did she know she was feeling lonely and came to console her? Even if that was true, how on Earth did he know where to find her? Was there a tracking device on her? She hadn't even made any sort of physical contact in months, and they only resulted in hugs with their uniforms on. Maybe there was a homing device on her Batgirl outfit and she didn't even know. But she washed the thing yesterday, so what could be a possible explanation for him being here? And why won't he stop smiling at her?

"This place is open 24 hours, you know. I could wait here all day," Jason said.

Barbara gulped hard, finally closing her mouth so that she could speak, though the shock still remained, causing her to stutter.

"W-Why are y-you here?" Barbara asked, careful to enunciate each word properly so he could understand through her stuttering.

He chuckled lightly, finding her surprised look and the way she talked rather cute, and with her glasses on and her hair styled into a fiery red ponytail just made her all the more adorable. It's almost a mystery how someone who looks like a sweet, innocent, nerdy ginger could be one of the strongest, most confident, most intelligent vigilante the city had ever seen. She was Batgirl long before he even knew how to work the TV; she was Oracle when he was busy venting his rage at Batman and his idiotic morals by destroying the criminals' hold on the city his way. The right way. At least, that's what he used to think.

"What, can't a guy who makes a living being a gun slinging vigilante pay one of his most honest friends a visit two days before Christmas?" he asked jokingly as he set his arms down on the table, waiting for her response.

"What I mean is, how did you know I was here?" she asked, her normal demeanor returning as the conversation continued.

"Honestly, I didn't," Jason said, still smiling. "I normally come here when I had a bad day or when I have some free time on my hands. That was when I was still running here in Gotham, but since I hang with the Outlaws, I've got neither, but tonight's different."

"How so?" she asked curiously

"Today's my day off," Jason finally said.

"Jason Todd, The Red Hood, the black sheep of the Batfamily, taking a day off?" Barbara asked, almost not believing him. "What, you got tired of putting bullet-holes on the bad people of the world?"

"You kidding? Me not killing some scumbag who deserves it is like saying Tim is the equivalent to Fabio, or saying Damian is the freakin' Pope," Jason said, making himself and Babs chuckle a little. "No, but seriously. I thought I could take a little break from my hero work so I could, you know, spend the holidays and not have to worry about some stupid whack-job super-villain trying to take over the city or some crap like that."

"Roy and Kori aren't gonna celebrate Christmas with you?"

"Oh, they're celebrating, all right, but more likely 'behind closed doors' if you get my drift."

"Ah. Say no more."

Silence came between them, but it wasn't an awkward one, rather it was a comfortable quiet between two friends, with a lot of hidden sexual tension on both parts, though they were either too proud or too nervous to admit it out loud.

Barbara had just remembered she still had her shrimp tacos on the plate in front of her and, after finding out they were still warm, decided to devour them, as she was still burdened with an empty stomach. The food, though not as warm as before, was still quit delicious. Shrimp, cilantro and tortilla took over her senses, save for those small times when she would wash it all down with the crisp but heavy taste of her Bud Light.

Jason just watched her, letting her take her time filling up her stomach with grilled Mexican delicacies, enjoying just being in her presence and happy to know that he was with her tonight. He saw the look on her face before she dozed off after she gave her menu to the waitress. Actually, he saw her face when she walked through the front door, because he was in the shadowed corner of the restaurant, away from the other consumers, thinking about his own past and life choices. Especially about his former mentor.

Jason used to think that since Bruce never avenged his death by killing the man who took his life, he thought Bruce never cared for him, never bothered to come looking for him after he died. That was his mind set for a long time, until one day, he decided to leave the city, tired of being hunted down constantly by Batman and his little bat-posse, to look for a place where he could actually be respected and belonged, where there was no Batman, no Justice League, no hero wanting to stop him from doing what he did. That's where he found Roy Harper and Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran.

Roy, AKA Arsenal, was living on the island where his mentor, Green Arrow, resided before he went back to Star City after a long five years of training and surviving. Roy was with a friend of his and someone Jason knew before he had died. Joseph Wilson, also known as Jericho. Apparently, they were both trying to rebuild a new team of Titans after defeating Deathstroke's hold on them, but found it rather difficult and gave up, joining the Titans in San Francisco where Logan, now named Changeling, was leader. But after being suspended by Changeling and Raven, co-leader of the Titans and Logan's fiancée, after killing a long time villain of theirs, Plasmus, he quit the team and moved away to New York where the old Titan's Tower used to be and set up shop there. Jason worked with him on a case that involved some big-time drug smuggling ring, and were inseparable ever since. Though it would've been better if Roy had an off-button so he would shut up for once.

Kory, as she is nicknamed when they don't call her Starfire, was doing a little rebuilding of her own.

After founding out that a new Tamaran had been created, she, with the aid of the Green Lantern Corps, had taken the opportunity to help the people who lived there and become their queen, a title she would've been given if she wasn't sold to a rival species as a peace offering, a plan created by her sister, Komand'r, Blackfire in Tamaranian, so she could take the title all for herself. Two years after her coronation, she felt that being queen wasn't all it was cracked up to be, as she had spent half her life protecting the innocent as a superhero, and gave the crown to her loyal brother, Ryand'r, as he was more qualified and not a superhero, making him the perfect king. She then spent many months all to herself in an island far away from civilization, until Jason had to ruin her peace and quiet by crash landing on her private spacecraft after being shot down by a couple of lowlifes who made money in the arms dealing business he was meant to execute, but failed miserably, basically ending up on her doorstep.

After many trials and twice as many errors, the three of them took it upon themselves to become the Outlaws, a well-oiled, trigger-happy, barely law-abiding machine. Jason was the leader, Roy was the comedian, much to everyone's dismay, and Kory was the muscle. They were the family they had been wanted for many years, and as long as they were together, nothing could separate them.

Unless that nothing was Barbara Gordon.

She hadn't done anything to Jason and his Outlaws, but even if she hadn't managed to cripple them physically, she had managed to found her to a certain Red Hood's heart recently, distracting him from his job and his priorities. There was even a time where Jason decided that one of their targets should get a fair trial after being caught by them, instead of getting his forehead bedazzled with bullets, all because his heart was telling him, screaming from the top its lungs, to forget about bloodshed and think about what Barbara would do. And that has been his motto ever since.

What would Barbara do?

She finally finished her meal and her beer, shamelessly wiping the grease on her mouth her sleeve, ignoring the napkin in front of her, then looked up at the boy rebel in front of her, realizing she had company when she did that.

"Sorry," she said, blushing in embarrassment.

"No worries. You're even cuter when you don't care," Jason said.

"I don't think I've ever been accused of being cute."

"Well, I think it's about time, don't you think? You deserve to have someone to remind you how attractive you are."

Barbara looked away from her plate and set her eyes on him. His smile wasn't there anymore, but his face was still sincere, which was almost unheard unless you've spent a day with the guy. His eyes were soft and focused solely on her, the colors of his irises were bright blue, but if you looked more closely, you could see a tint of green, a result from his dip in the Lazarus Pit, like the white section of his black hair. His cheeks were a soft red, probably trying to warm themselves up from the cold outside or remembering those few but greatly emotional times where they had spent their most sincere moments of friendship together, wishing for something more. Maybe that was just in her head, but she honestly didn't care. She didn't care because he was here. He didn't forget her like Grayson. He didn't leave her hanging like Bruce. He was here and she would not take that for granted ever again.

"Do you want to take a walk?" she asked nervously.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said, his warm smile returning.

They got up from their booth and began to walk towards the front door when Jason stopped her.

"You forgetting something, Barbie?" he asked as he pointed back to the lady at the cash register with his thumb, signaling that they forgot to pay.

"Right. Sorry." She walked towards another lady who was dressed the same as the waitress, though a little bigger and had an older face. They paid for the meal and walked out the door, thanking them for the food.

The bitter cold bit down on them once again, but it seemed Jason was unaffected by the relentless beating of the late December winds, while Barbara had to wrap her own arms around herself so she could keep warm. Her own warmth seemed to be her main priority as they got out, but she laid her eyes at Jason once again and stayed that way for a good minute until he turned his head at her, catching her in the act.

"Why are you staring at me? Not that I mind, anyway," Jason asked cheekily.

"I always thought you would be the one to forget to pay after eating at a restaurant," she responded honestly.

"I'm a wanted vigilante across the entire country, not some rude jerk who's as blunt as a stick. In fact, I can be quite the civilized individual."

"Oh, yeah. Breaking a guy's kneecaps instead of their necks is very civilized," she said sarcastically.

"At least they'd still alive, so I like to think so."

They chuckled together, a rare thing to happen between the two of them, but neither of them cared. Times like this only happen once in every two blue moons. Batgirl and Red Hood. A complete juxtaposition of attitudes, mind sets, and on one or two occasions, even sanity. But on that morning, nothing could be more promising than a good start to a cold Christmas Eve.

Jason and Barbara got off of their motorbikes as they finally reached her apartment, about to make their way inside when Jason made one of his many questionable remarks.

"Why, Miss Gordon, already letting me into your apartment? But we've never even had our first date yet," said Jason jokingly with that annoying grin on his face.

"First off, you keep smiling like that, your face is going to get stuck, and second, what made you think you were going to be having 'fun' tonight?" replied Barbara with an equally joking smile on her face.

"Hey, can't blame a guy for trying," he said, raising his arms in surrender.

They walked up the stairs to apartment door, and as she was about to put her key into the key slot, she remembered something important.

"Oh, my God! I totally forgot!" she practically screamed.

"What?" Jason asked with a worried look on his face.

"It's almost four in the morning, my roommate is probably inside right now."

"So?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"So she hasn't seen me walk through the front door hours before sunrise. She'll know something's up."

Jason rolled his eyes and decided to swipe the keys to her apartment away from her hand and quickly unlocked the door for her, opening it wide for him to see the inside of her domain.

The room seemed cozy, but he couldn't tell with it being dark, but it shouldn't take long for his eyes to adjust. He did used to live in a cave, after all. The floor was littered with small tank-tops, t-shirts and underwear of different kinds, which Barbara insisted were mostly her roommate's. The living room consisted of a red loveseat and a TV with a home entertainment system that didn't look to shabby or expensive, but still a stable choice. The kitchen was also small but still a bit homey. On either side of the apartment were differently decorated doors, probably leading to their respected rooms and their bathrooms.

"Nice place you got here," Jason said.

"I knew I should've cleaned up before I left. I keep wanting to but I always put it off," Barbara said with cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You think this is bad, you should see Roy's room. It looks like a tornado ran over a Goodwill. Trust me, Barbie, this is fine."

Barbara looked at him again, surprised that he was so cool with her having a dirty looking apartment.

_Well, he is a guy,_ she thought. _What'd you expect?_

She made a small trek to the kitchen and looked inside the refrigerator, hoping to find something for them to consume while he was here. She found a couple of beers and day old Chinese food still in their white boxes. After getting them out, along with a couple of forks from the drawer, she made her way back to the small couch where Jason was currently sitting on.

"I hope you like day old white rice," Barbara said with her blush still apparent on her cheeks.

"I love the stuff," Jason replied as he took off his brown leather jacket, leaving him in his tight-fitting, small-sleeved, gray t-shirt, and threw the jacket on the floor with all of the other articles of clothing, saying "If you're roommate can do it, so can I."

After finishing their slightly cold rice, following some small talk about some missions they had to do, the people they met, how annoying their partners are, and other things of the sort, they simply sat comfortably on the loveseat, trying to fight off the sleep in their eyes but was proving to be a rather difficult job. But when Barbara remembered that it was a weekend that day, she let the sleep takeover her just as the sun rose from the industrialized horizon of Gotham's skyline and slept away.

On Jason's shoulder.


	4. The Moth Rises!

Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 4: The Moth Rises!

The cell was small. Not so small where the person inside would be cramped between the two grimy walls of moldy brick, but still enough so it would make all thoughts of comfort and mental security wither away. It was meant to drive the inmates a little crazy. This place was an asylum, after all.

Arkham Asylum was one of the most prominent mental facilities in the country. Housing many of those in Gotham with mental disabilities for over seventy years, a true landmark in the city's history. But for those who are inside those walls, would more than likely disagree.

The super asylum isn't just a facility for those who have a loose grasp on reality, but also for those who have been named the most dangerous and psychotic super-villains in the city. On one wing of the building, a dark, gloomy corridor where the bricks were a dirty green from the mold and moisture from the humidity that was heavy in the air. The cell doors were transparent, but thankfully, were made of a heavy polymer plexiglass, able to withstand any hit the super-inmates have to offer, but there is one inmate that wouldn't dare bother to escape. Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't care to.

Cameron van Cleer was one of the wealthiest men in Gotham, next to Bruce Wayne, of course, and had done everything in his power to keep it that way. He tried making investments in big-time corporations like Ferris Aircrafts, The Daily Planet, he even went to a local Blaze Comic books shop so he could have them as a sponsor. But like most investors, they hit a dead end and he was left with nothing. But not until he sought the help of one of the, if not biggest, crime family in the city.

The Falcones.

He tried to reason with them, to make them understand the situation he was going through, but they didn't listen to him. They thought he was just another little rich boy looking for a way to get back in business, even though that's who he really was, minus the little rich boy remark. They also pointed out that he was weak, pathetic, a waste of skin and bone and had nothing to offer but the clothes on his back and a gloomy attitude that could make a comedian frown. So they threw him out of the bar van Cleer and Carmine Falcone were talking in, but not without giving him two black eyes, a busted lip and broken nose for wasting his time.

He had nothing. His manor was taken down, his Swiss bank account didn't have a rusty penny, and all of his sponsors forgot about him, leaving him for more "qualified" buyers. All he had left was a bag full of shame and a dying will to live. His pride left him as well when he had no choice but to spend the rest of his days at a homeless shelter.

Three weeks in, as he was eating his warm soup, the depression still lingering on him, he overheard the radio on the other side of the shelter, where the voice of one Vicki Vale was doing a report about how a group of bank robbers were apprehended by the city's greatest heroes, Batman and Robin.

Cameron had heard about the Dynamic Duo for some time, but frankly, he didn't see the appeal. To him, those two heroes were nothing more than a couple of crazies desperately seeking attention anyway they could. Why else would a grown man dress himself up as a bat fighting crime in the middle of the night? And that kid too. Just who on Earth would make a child fight alongside him dressed in a tight red shirt and green short-shorts? Was that kid his son, nephew, brother?

Lover?

Not only that, but how could someone like the Batman take down the city's organized crime rings in a matter of just two years after he made his big appearance? Aren't the criminals in this city the most feared in the country? How could they be so easily defeated by a man who thinks it's Halloween every night?

_They're pathetic, that's how_, Cameron thought. _They put no thought into their plans. They're not creative enough to face a man of that caliber. Someone needs to step up to him. To beat him at his own game. To finally bring an end to this Batman._

That's when the thought came to him. He always expected someone else to take the plate and swing for home, but no more. If he wanted to save this city from the Batman, he'd have to do it himself.

He planned for weeks, studying his opponent's every move, every word he'd spoken, searching for some sort of weakness. And when he would find it, he would shine a bright light on the darkness that is the Bat, bringing his loyal followers towards him like moths.

Moths.

That is what he would become. To defeat a mad man, one must think like a mad man and become the thing the city needs. These people need a light to give them direction like those misunderstood insects, and he would be the one to guide them, to lead them, to rule them. He would be their king. A king moth. A killer moth.

_From now on, Cameron van Cleer is gone,_ he thought. _There is only…_

_ Killer Moth. _

After assembling an outfit, made from assorted color-coated sports uniforms and different padding from a local sports shop, and picking up his father's pistol from a pawn shop with the money he got from begging, he went off to create a new face for himself. A mask to seal to his fate as the city's new savior.

In Greek mythology, Hades, god of the underworld, had once possessed a helm to grant him the power of invisibility. But to van Cleer, the helm was a symbol of authority, of respect and of fear. A helm that would give him the recognition he would need when he rid the city of its Dark Knight. So in the dead of night, he snuck into a local metallurgy when no one was looking and to create his own helm. The head of a moth with the luster and brightness of a royal crown. The perfect symbol of light against dark.

His uniform was complete, his identity a mystery, and when the time was right, he would be the one to finally kill The Batman.

But that wasn't the case that night. Cameron went to go search for the Batman, but decided to catch his attention instead by raiding Gotham National Bank, feigning a bank robbery, and waited for the Caped Crusader and his young traffic-light colored slave. When they finally got there, he didn't bother with a speech prior to defeating him, as he believed that speaking before going into action was a waste of time, and went in for the kill. What Cameron didn't realize was that the Batman had traveled all over the world, mastering all of the martial arts that had ever existed and easily defeated the new, but embarrassingly inadequate rogue named Killer Moth.

The city was saved, the bad guy was put away and the Dynamic Duo left the scene with victory in the air. But for van Cleer, the air might have well been polluted with carbon monoxide. He planned everything. He had the outfit, the brawn, the intellect, he had everything the Dark Knight had? How could he have been defeated? His thoughts were overrun by voices from the outside of the squad car where he was sitting and overheard a conversation between Batman and Commissioner Gordon.

"What do you think about this lunatic?" asked Gordon with a cigarette in his mouth.

"He's not a lunatic, Jim. He's probably just an angry man looking for attention. Once he gets to Blackgate, he'll change his mind about going robbing banks and fighting super-heroes."

"You sure you don't want him in Arkham? Seems like a lunatic to me."

"Trust me, Jim. After what had transpired today, I don't think he would last a week in that asylum. A holding cell in Blackgate should be just fine."

_A holding cell? In Blackgate? It's bad enough I get to be stuck in a small rusted holding cell, but I don't even get the same treatment as all of the other villains he faces? I'm just as bad as the rest of 'em. You want crazy, Batman? I'll give you crazy. _

And he kept his promise. Throughout the years, he had improved his fighting style, his outfit had become bulkier as to prevent him from being easily hurt and had actually improved his arsenal of weaponry, like his Mothgun, his Mothwing jetpack, and a brand new utility belt for any other weapons he could use against Batman and Robin. He even created a new alternate persona for himself. Drury Walker. He had to undergo plastic surgery to give him a new face, slightly similar to that of Bruce Wayne, but still unique so he wouldn't resemble anyone famous, just another rich jerk with a messed up face.

His vision, though, had never wavered. He still believed the city needed a light to fly towards like the moths he was inspired by. He would still fight, and one of these days, he would win.

But even though his desire to win may be great, he had nothing to show for it, to the point where he had doubts about whether or not this city deserved to be saved by him after all. Especially after he was defeated by another wild card.

Batgirl.

She came out of nowhere, just seconds before he was about to finally lay way with the Dynamic Duo. The Batfamily was expanding right under his nose, and he couldn't do anything about it. When he was captured by that Ginger-Bat, he was sent to Arkham Asylum, his home away from home, oddly enough, where he spent the next ten years in his own cell.

And that's where he was now. Sitting on his flat bed, with a single bed sheet and dusty pillow, chained to the moldy green wall next to him while his attention was completely devoted to the printed words of George Orwell's _1984_.

In many ways, the story was a lot like his life. Drury was like Wilson, the protagonist of the story, and Batman was like Big Brother. Batman was everywhere and nowhere all at once, fooling people into thinking he was some sort of hero, saving them from the dangers of the outside, but Drury knew who he really was. A monster who can do anything he wishes without a second thought and no one would be the wiser. A demon who thrives on the fears of others and a master of deceit. He was no hero. He must be stopped. But not by him.

It had been this way for all the years he had been here. He had completely disregarded the thought of exacting his revenge on the Batfamily. He had been humiliated enough already. His goal now was to stay here and pay his debt to society. Besides, if there were anyone out there who would free the city from the hands of the Dark Knight, they would be more experienced than him. His dream would be realized, eventually, but for right now, he would have to be content in his reading.

A knock on his cell door interrupted his focus on the novel in his hands, followed by a blunt voice from outside.

"Walker. You got a visitor," said the guard outside. Before Drury could even say anything, the door opened, revealing two men. One of them was the guard who had been working at this specific part of the asylum since Drury was checked in ten years ago. A tall and muscular size he possessed was like a necessity in the asylum business, but what wasn't was his heavy smell of hard liquor in his breath and a scar on the right side of his face he got from Killer Croc after saving another guard, Aaron Cash, from getting eaten. Everybody calls him Officer Boles.

The man beside him was slightly familiar to him. Tall, a slight build, but not exaggerative like Boles, and sandy blond hair that went down to his nose. He had an air of authority to him, something Drury had wanted when he started his debut as Killer Moth. He had a large suit case with him, large enough to carry a bomb, but still somewhat small so it wouldn't be too heavy. The blond man was clearly wealthy, but he sensed the man also had a shade of mystery to him. Drury knew he'd seen him before, but he couldn't figure it out for the life of him.

"Walker, meet Dr. Thomas Elliot." Boles said.

_Ah, now I know who he is,_ thought Drury.

As Boles closed the door behind him, leaving Dr. Elliot and Drury alone, Drury stood up from his bed and walked towards the tall doctor.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having the famous Hush in my humble abode," said Drury Walker.

"I just came by to do some evaluations, Mr. van Cleer," Dr. Elliot said with a deadpan voice and a blank face to match.

"It's Walker. Drury Walker," he corrected angrily. "And why do I need evaluations?"

"For your early release," Dr. Elliot replied with a sinister sneer replacing his professional façade. He reached into his suitcase and pulled out a large object, about the size of a human head, covered by a beige cloth. He gave the object to Walker, which he took questionably.

"You'll need that," Dr. Elliot said. Drury pulled off the cloth, revealing a helm. His helm. The one he had not seen in ages.

"Well? What do you say? Are you in, Killer Moth?" Hush continued.

Drury examined the helm before him. The light green color of the metal had not faded, the glass on the helm's eyes had not cracked, and by guessing by the weight of helm, it seemed stable. He raised the helm above his head and lowered it onto it, as if it was the first time all over again.

"I'm in."

She didn't want to wake up. She was already awake, but her pillow was just felt so good, she hoped that if she stayed like this long enough, she would fall back asleep with her head on her muscular pillow.

_Wait, _she thought. _Since when are pillows muscular?_

She opened her eyes just a tad, finding herself in her apartment, on top of the loveseat, just where she thought she was. The walls, though the paint was originally gray, were coated in orange light she guessed was from the sunrise, since there was a huge window behind her. Everything was as it should be, at least from her perspective.

She was about to get off the couch when she found that her arms were wrapped around something. Something warm and soft, but strong also. She looked at her arms and found that they were wrapped around an arm. A long, muscular arm with old scars riddled on its skin.

She slowly looked up, eyes wide in shock and fear, though not like she was about to be killed, but more like "I'm gonna die of embarrassment" kind of fear, and saw the broad shoulder that she deduced was her pillow. There was a small but still wet stain on the gray shirt that covered the shoulder, probably from her drool.

_I hate drooling in my sleep,_ she thought

She continued to slowly look upwards, afraid at who might've been her pillow, but in the back of her mind, she already knew the answer. When her eyes finally finished their journey, she was met with the smiling, devilish face of Jason Todd looking at her.

"Mornin' sunshine. Sleep well?" he asked.

She must've been blushing because she felt as if her face was on fire from the horrific embarrassment of what had just happened. She only seen the guy for an hour after who knows how long, and already she brought him over to her apartment and slept on his shoulder like a lovesick teenage girl after a date with her crush.

_I'm practically a floozy, _she thought.

She jumped away from the loveseat and Jason and made her way to the kitchen, stuffing her face in the fridge, feigning looking for something to eat but really hiding her completely red face from him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. You needed a good nap, and I don't think these pillows are suited for that sort of thing," he said as he stood up to face her side. To add his point, he punched a throw pillow, expecting it be a bit hard rather than soft but was hit in the face with a cloud of dust, causing him to cough like a heavy smoker. "See what I mean," he continued with a raspy voice, but still smiling.

_Guess I should add dusting to my to-do list, _Barbara thought.

Feeling a bit better, she closed the door to her fridge and walked over to her couch so she could get comfortable again but not bothering to turn on the TV, she already had too much on her mind already.

"So, you're not freaked out that I slept on your shoulder?" she asked, slightly afraid.

"Nah. You needed to sleep, what with that whole Penguin fiasco at one in the morning back at the docks and you dozing off at the restaurant. In my opinion, it was just what you needed," Jason replied. "Plus, I don't mind being your pillow once in a while."

She blushed a little at that. She could use a good pillow to lie on, and there was nothing more comfortable than a soft but broad shoulder to keep her warm. But there was something that he said earlier that had caught her attention.

"How did you know that I was fighting Penguin at the docks this morning?" she asked interrogatively.

His eyes widened, unaware that he had said that. He tried to come up with a good excuse, but he was already on thin ice so all that came out was an "uh" or "um."

"Well?" Barbara asked with eyes squinted at the man in front of her.

Over the years, he had lots of experience with dating women, and if there was one thing he'd learned, it's that if you get caught lying to a girl, any girl at all, either avoid the question at all costs or prepare to be on the other side of a butcher knife.

_You pretend to be a virgin one time…_ Jason thought.

He really tried to come up with a solid answer until his eyes made contact with the TV remote on the coffee table and came up with a plan.

"How about we watch some TV?" he asked with a not-so convincing smile.

As he turned on the television, Barbara just as quickly swiped the remote away from his grasp and waved it at him angrily.

"Don't try to change the subject, Todd," she said, brows furrowed in anger and prepared to smack him with the remote she was tightly holding. "How did you know I was at the docks this morn-"

"_We are live at Arkham Island where we had just received word that the infamous villain by the name of Hush had just helped another patient named Drury Walker escape not moments ago. We go live to reporter Vicki Vale who's at the Island. Vicki?" _said the anchor of the news program that was on the television, catching both Barbara's and Jason's attention.

"_Thanks, John. We are at the gate of the country's top psychiatric facility, Arkham Asylum, where Hush, a long time rogue in Gotham, had just released one Drury Walker. As you may know, Drury Walker was once a villain named Killer Moth, who ten years ago today, would've killed the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, if it wasn't for the aid of the mysterious red-headed super-heroine named Batgirl, who not only saved Batman and Robin, but also helped incarcerate Killer Moth, where he spent the next ten years in this facility. Now, thanks to the rogue, Hush, he has now escaped, but hopefully, he will be back where he belongs. Reporting from Arkham Island, this is Vicki Vale, signing off. Back to you, John,"_ Vicki Vale reported.

Barbara turned off the TV then looked at Jason, who was still looking at the blank screen with seriousness on his face, then turned to the girl next to him, nervousness and fear gone, only readiness for action.

"We are not done here," Barbara said, rising from the couch and picked up her backpack, taking her outfit out, ready for another day of being Batgirl.

_Let's get this over with._


	5. Hush, little Batgirl

What is happening, ladies and gentlemen? Liking the story so far? I hope so.

In case you're wondering why I haven't put in the disclaimers for the last few chapters… let's just say I'm still getting to know Fanfiction a bit.

Anyways, I hope you guys like my interpretations of how Jason met Roy and Kori and my origin story for Killer Moth, because I thought they needed a good rebooting.

Just a little heads up, I've decided to put in a few elements from a certain video-game series to go along with the story. I hope you guys enjoy what I have installed. So, without further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: In honor of the last three missing disclaimers, I OWN NOTHING, I OWN NOTHNG, I OWN NOTHING! Batman and other DC characters mentioned are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Enjoy!

Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 5: Hush, little Batgirl

Batgirl and Red Hood were both running at top speeds across the many rooftops of the Gotham skyline, trying to make it as fast as possible to the asylum so they can uncover how and why Hush would bother helping Killer Moth escape. From the last time Barbara faced Killer Moth ten years ago, he was nothing short of stupid with a clumsy demeanor and a knack for making people think he was actually a threat when all you needed was a Batarang and a hornet's nest.

_He-he, it's still funny_, thought Barbara.

They were about a mile away from the island and Barbara looked back at Jason Todd in his Red Hood get-up. His brown leather jacket, gray t-shirt and black jeans were the same as he had worn just hours ago, but what really got her attention was the red helmet on his head. The helmet covered his entire face, only having white eye slits for Jason to see, and a small mouth piece for him to talk through without it being muffled. Jason was also carrying two red colored handguns that were bigger than the other types of handguns she had seen in her time being Batgirl. She had to remind herself that not only do they have a job to do, but also that he still had to explain himself for knowing where she was this morning.

They finally made it to the gate that led to the super-asylum, where squad cars and field reporters were scattered across the fields and gardens of the asylum. Fortunately the gate was open, so they walked right through, catching everyone's attention. More specifically, the police.

The duo was met by an African-American man with an Arkham Asylum staff uniform, a blue, button-down shirt with the asylum logo on the chest pocket complete with black slacks, and a hook for a hand, a souvenir from Killer Croc, himself.

"Finally, someone I could work with. And Red Hood," Aaron Cash said.

"Thanks. Always happy to be appreciated," Red Hood remarked, but was stopped by an elbow to the stomach, courtesy of Batgirl.

"We heard the news about Hush freeing Killer Moth from here, Mr. Cash. Do you have any news about his motive or how he was freed?" Batgirl asked in a more polite tone.

"Oh yeah. Follow me," Cash said, leading them inside the super asylum.

The interior of the building was quite intriguing to see. The archways and statues that lined up the halls were of gothic design, adding the dark and gloominess of the establishment. The floors were wooden and glossy, but every now and then, there would be that one plank in the floor that would creak, as if it were meant to startle the patients for the entertainment of the security guards that ruled this place. There were paintings of several people who took over the asylum over the years, many of which went crazy themselves, and even busts and life size statues of said wardens.

Cash led them further down to the second floor of the building to the Intensive Treatment wing of the wing, right next to the Penitentiary wing, and was instantly struck with indoor humidity that took over the airways in the moldy hallway. As far as Barbara and Jason could tell, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. All of the iron cells were intact, all in alphabetical order by their last names or aliases, as some of the rogues in Gotham only live by their alternate personas, like Bane. They continued to trek down the corridor and made a turn to the left, one that was unknown to the mismatched Dynamic Duo, and found something quite peculiar.

On the ground were three lifeless bodies of large and bulky security guards, one of them was the late Officer Boles, with bullet holes covering their torsos and heads. On the floor between them was the iron door that was obviously blown away from its hinges by some sort of bomb.

"This is the door for Walker's cell. Security cameras were blown out before the explosion. Nobody had a chance," Aaron Cash said, voice thick with vengeance and remorse.

"We'll take care of this, Mr. Cash," said Barbara with a kind voice. She turned and addressed Jason behind her. "Red, you got some sort of Detective Vision to figure out what kind of bomb did all this?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Jason said as he pressed a button on the left side of his red face mask. The eyes of his helmet finally went bright blue, enabling Jason's Detective Vision, a system in which one could use in a crime scene and see things no one else could see with the naked eye, like weak fixtures in the wall that could be easily blown up by some of Batman's explosive gel that people could miss.

Once his Detective Vision was active, Jason immediately found a substance on the burn marks that were on the back of the door, which was highlighted in orange in his Detective Vision, where the bomb clearly was. He kneeled down and inspected the substance closer, the data already appearing itself on the bottom right side of his Vision. The Vision created a hologram of the molecule that made up the substance he was looking at and presented another window below the hologram, showing the name of the substance, which came back inconclusive.

"I think that finding Hush and Moth might take a little longer than we thought," said Jason.

"What makes you say that?" questioned Batgirl.

"Well, according to my scanners, the substance found in the bomb Hush used to free Walker came back as "Unknown." Apparently, the stuff was either homemade or something brand new that hasn't been recorded in the Batcomputer, making it difficult to trace back to its place of origin."

"Or Hush's base of operations," Batgirl finished sourly. "We should probably search the cell to see if there was any struggle."

Hood nodded and went inside Killer Moth's cell, with Barbara on his tail. Inside was pretty spartan, the bed sheets on the thin mattress were thrown to the floor, the lighting was dim and the ambiance was gloomy and depressing, which was quite fitting with the rest of Arkham. Jason switched on his Detective Vision again, changing the color of his eyesight to an electronic blue, trying to find anything that could lead him to some sort of lead.

As Red Hood was searching the room, Batgirl walked towards the bed where a copy of _1984_ was lying there and picked it up, skimming through the pages of the book, only to find one section of the novel where the corner of the page was folded in. Barbara deducted this as a bookmark, but when she went to the page, the texture was solid, not unlike that of a brick, and a small noise was coming from it. She pressed the book to her ear to find what the noise was. Her eyes grew wide as she found out was it was, but it wasn't good.

It was ticking.

"Red, get back!" Batgirl screamed as she ran to the farthest wall of the cell, with Red Hood at her side, and covering themselves with Barbara's cape as the book exploded into a fiery plume of red and orange, just seconds after she threw it back down to the bed.

Once Barbara thought it was safe to detach herself from Jason and the wall, she walked back to the now disintegrated book, careful not to get too close the flames that were stuck on the floor, walls and bed. Aaron Cash slowly looked inside the cell and joined the mismatched Dynamic Duo.

"This has to be Hush's work. Walker is much too stupid to manufacture a bomb like that," Barbara stated, still looking at the burned bed where the book was that nearly killed her.

"I don't think so. Walker picked up that book from the Asylum Library a while back and never turned it in. We all just thought he liked the book so much, he decided to keep it. Never thought he'd make a bomb out of it," Aaron Cash said.

"Well, you thought wrong, Cash," Red Hood said, looking at the security guard. Even though neither Cash nor Barbara could see his face, they both new he had an angry sneer planted beneath his helmet.

"Well, what are you gonna do about it, killer?" Cash said towards Hood.

"The only 'killer' we should be worrying about is Moth. If Hush helped him escape, he wouldn't do it for no reason. We just have to figure out what that reason is and why he couldn't do it himself," Barbara said as she came between the two males. "Did you pick up anything on your scanners, Red?"

"Nothing. The place is clean, front and back. The only thing I did manage to identify was a postcard with Penguin's ship, The Final Offer, on it," Red Hood said. "There's something else, though. On the back of the card, there's a code written in invisible ink. The code is 010115, then says, 'Be ready.'"

"You think it could've been Hush who wrote it?" Batgirl asked.

"Possibly. Obviously, he wants us to find out what the code means and come back to him when we do."

"Why don't we just go to him now?"

"We can't, he'll expect that. If there's one thing I know, it's a criminal's mind."

"Yeah. You _would_ know that," Cash stated.

"You watch it, Cash," Red said as he pointed his finger at the guard in front of him.

"Red. Cash. Quit it, or I'll make you quit it," Batgirl nearly yelled at the two, believing they were acting like children. The both silenced themselves before Barbara signaled Jason to continue with what he knew Hush would do at a time like this.

"As I was saying, since it's only been, what, an hour or two, they're probably in hiding somewhere until they reach back to the Final Offer. Since we don't when they'll do that, we'll just have to play their little game and figure out this code so it could tell us what we need to know, if anything."

Barbara thought for a bit. What Jason said did make sense, but she couldn't help but try to find an alternative plan to make this little stunt of Elliot's go over quicker. But when she couldn't, she nodded and said to Red that we should follow his plan.

Once they took care of that, they did one quick sweep across the Asylum to make sure nothing else was misplaced or destroyed by Hush or Moth, so when they found nothing else left to investigate, they left the island and headed back to the one place where they knew they could find the answers. To Jason's dismay, of course.

The Batcave.

"Bruce?! You here?!" Barbara shouted in the empty Batcave with her cowl down, letting the coolness of the cave to sooth her pale, freckled face.

Once they got to the Manor, the entire establishment was filled with silence and an eerie tingling sensation began to crawl up and down in the back of their necks. Not even Alfred was present anywhere in the house. They both suspected that they were in the Batcave, probably running the same investigation they were on, but as they saw, no one was found.

"Do you think Bruce and Damian went to Arkham Asylum after we did?" Barbara asked, trying to make the situation less creepy.

"If they did, we would've seen the Batwing or the Batmobile after we left. Besides, even if they did, Alfred would've been in the kitchen or the Batcomputer. Face it, no one's here," Jason said, his helmet on a desk on the far side of the Batcave, freeing his face for Barbara to see.

The whole situation, from beginning to now, was entirely creepy. First, Thomas Elliot, who's been missing for three whole months for reasons unexplained finally shows himself only to breakout the worst super-villain in Gotham City. Second, Batman, Robin, even Alfred were nowhere to be seen in the Manor or the Batcave. And the only people left who have no idea what's going on are Batgirl and the ruthless vigilante, Red Hood.

"The hell is going on here?" Jason asked to no one in particular. The quiet was literally resonating throughout the Batcave, not even the bats that were hanging on the ceiling made any sort of noise to break the silence. The eeriness was almost too much to bear when all of a sudden, the monitor of the Batcomputer came to life, the bright light blinding them momentarily and the loud sound of the static was beating down on their eardrums, causing the bats to fly away to another section of the cave.

Barbara raised her cowl, expecting a hacking from one of the rogues, while Jason ran to receive his helmet for the same reason. The loudness from the monitor lowered to slightly comfortable volume, the static was thinning to a semi-clear image of a man's head covered in dirty white bandages, only leaving his eyes and mouth uncovered. His brown trench coat and black Kevlar covered his torso with a capital H in a red circle on his left pectoral.

"Hush," Barbara sneered.

"Greetings, Batgirl. I knew you'd come by sooner or later. And I see you brought company, though I expected someone less, what's the word, trigger-happy?" Hush said rather smugly, the static covering the remainder of the monitor that wasn't occupied by his bandaged face.

"What do you want, Hush? And how did you even hack this frequency?" Batgirl nearly screamed at his face.

"I have my resources, and trust me, they're all dying to meet you. You should've seen their faces when they captured your beloved Batfamily."

Her eyes went wide. Bruce, Damian, Alfred; they didn't leave the Manor on a mission, Hush and whoever he was working with, maybe Killer Moth, too, managed to kidnap them.

"Where are they, Hush?!"

Elliot simply smiled. "I understand you've managed to find my little code, yes?"

This time, Jason was the one to answer with the postcard in hand. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Once you've managed to crack it, meet me at the Final Offer at midnight of the day you've cracked it. Until then, for every day you do not succeed, I will send one of my associates to face you. You will not know when they'll come for you, where they will be or how they plan on incinerating you from existence, but for when you do succeed, call me on this number."

The screen changed to a black screen where a phone number was displayed out for them, but after a lone second, it reverted back to Hush's face.

"Once you have done so, you will have the opportunity to free your beloved Batman and Robin and their trusted butler from my clutches. Until we meet again, Batgirl and Red Hood. Have fun." The screen went blank and the monitor turned off, leaving a grief-stricken Dynamic Duo just looking at their reflections on the Batcomputer.

Barbara walked slowly to the keyboard and with an unforeseen rage, slammed her small hands on the desk repeatedly with a force that could match that of the Dark Knight's. Her grunts and yells were the only noise that she and Jason could hear, followed by the occasional angry whimpers from Barbara's cries.

Jason had seen anger on her face before, it's only one of the non-biological traits from her time in the Batfamily, but never had he seen her become filled with a passionate fury mixed with hopeless anguish before. So, without her knowing, he came up close behind her and surrounded her in his strong, warm embrace.

"Let go of me, Jason! Let GO!" Barbara screamed at him. He did not speak, did not move or did anything, but held her in his arms, desperately trying calm her down as he turned her around and held her even tighter as he buried her head in his chest.

She tried everything, punching, pushing, kicking, anything so he could let her go and let her anger out on the Batcomputer, but he stayed. He stayed and never let his arms go away from her, hoping against hope she would let him have this chance to be with her when she needed it.

Her yelling had stopped, her punches and kicks had ceased, just leaving her to cry away furiously in his chest, wrapping her own arms, small and delicate, across his frame, holding him to her so she wouldn't fall.

They stayed like that for a while, just basking in the warmth of their still uniformed bodies as they let out their tears from what had just transpired not an hour ago. The crying had ended softly, but they were still reluctant to let go, feeling quite comfortable holding each other like this. But when things got too comfortable for them to admit, they released each other and looked at their uniforms, as they both had stains from their tears, either on their shoulders or chest, and looked awkwardly away from each other, blushing from embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to ruin your suit," Barbara said in a small, embarrassed voice. When Jason looked down at his chest, he simply shrugged his shoulders and a shy smile made its way across his face.

"Don't worry about it. I think we both needed a good cry."

"Never took you for the crying type," Barbara said, not slyly but honestly.

"I'm not, so if you ever tell anyone that I did, I'll have to kill you," Jason teased.

That managed to get a smile from Barbara for a small moment, but quickly disappeared as she took the postcard and walked over to the still intact Batcomputer, about to try to decipher the code on it. Of course, with her photographic memory, she was able to easily memorize the numbers as 010115 and quickly ran the software Bruce built in to find any connections with it.

Jason hung back, unsure of what to do until he remembered the conversation he had with Barbara a little while ago. He felt that, if they were going to work together on this, he might as well give her an honest answer. She at least deserved that.

"Barbie?"

"What is it, Jason?"

He breathed deeply, calming the nerves that were running rampant beneath his skin preparing himself for the worst when he tells her the truth.

"Remember when you asked me how I knew you were at the docks the other night?"

Barbara turned her chair around, catching her attention.

"Yes, why?"

_Here it goes_, Jason thought.

"I was following you."

Coming Soon- The Prodigal Nightmare Ch. 6: Rogues Unite

"_I am Naught, The President, and I approve this message." _


	6. Rogues Unite

What is happening, ladies and gentlemen?

Wasn't last chapter a surprise? Hush and Killer Moth versus Batgirl and Red Hood?! Who would've thunk it?

Anywho, I wanna let you guys know that with all the views I've been getting, I am super happy. It's my first fanfic, and I already broke the 400 view mark. Thank you guys so much!

But let's talk more about this chapter. Just the usual: Batgirl/Red Hood relationship development, Killer Moth and Hush planning behind the scenes and so much more! Also, the wings he had in Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1? Yeah, they're back. Whatevs.

Remember to leave me a comment, they are always appreciated, follow and favorite my stories, and be good to your fellow authors. So, without further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: Batman and any other DC characters mentioned are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Enjoy!

The Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 6: Rogues Unite

Barbara, one of the most fearless, dauntless, most dangerous females in the world and first "daughter" of the Batfamily, was struck senseless by what the man in front of her, Jason Todd, had just said to her. Not even a minute prior, he asked her if she really wanted to know how he knew she was helping Batman defeat The Penguin and put him behind bars. She just thought he was listening to the police radio or was watching the news, but by the look of nervousness and fear in his face, she concluded that that wasn't it. Nevertheless, she didn't bother with it, even though just this morning it was the only thing on her mind, as she had other fish, or should she say moths, to fry. But what Jason had just said gave her something else to think about. If she could start thinking again.

"What did you say?" she asked, eyes wide like the time at the Mexican restaurant, only with a more ominous feel as they were in the Batcave.

"I said I followed you. I saw you help Bats take down Cobblepot and his henchmen and, I gotta say, you were pretty good. Best I'd seen in a while," Jason said with a smile on his face, obviously trying to cut through the nervousness and awkward feelings between them both. Of course, he was failing miserably.

"But… why? Why were you following me?" Barbara asked at him, slowly getting angry with him as she was rising from her chair at the Batcomputer, which he was able to detect very clearly.

"Well, I mean… you see, I was just-, "Jason tried to come up with a good enough answer without trying to scare the red-head away, but the girl was getting impatient.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, and you better give me an answer. Why. Were. You. Following. Me?" She was centimeters away from his face, tiptoeing so she could get her point across that his only choice was to give her what she wants or suffer the consequences.

For Jason, this was probably the closest he had ever been to Barbara's face in a long, long time. He could smell her natural cinnamon-like aroma, he could count every one of her freckles on her cheeks and tried to resist the urge to kiss every last one of them, knowing he was on thin ice. He even looked straight into her emerald green eyes and saw, not his reflection, but the determination and fire in her eyes, the anger that he saw in there was like a small flame, not big enough that showed off her unbound fury, but small enough to let the person know that she is angry, and you wouldn't like it when she's angry.

_That fire in her eyes…so hot,_ he thought.

"Well?" Barbara asked, knocking him out of his thoughts and back to earth, where she was.

"Okay. I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to get all…nervous. Okay?" Jason asked desperately. Barbara could already tell she wasn't going to be a fan of what was to come, but instead, she nodded, set her heels back on the floor as he stepped back to give himself some room.

"It went out like this. Roy and Kori were already planning for their little 'Christmas vacation' and I was stuck in my room, cleaning out the gunk in my guns, but there was something else I was missing. I didn't know how to explain it but all I knew then was that I didn't wanna be the third wheel, so I took my wings and flew outta there before they knew I was gone," Jason started. He already kind of explained this to her earlier, but she didn't know he left without them knowing. Before she could think even further, he continued.

"When I got back to Gotham, it was already past midnight, so I thought I could get to the Batcave without alerting anyone, but I heard someone screaming by the docks. Turns out Daddy-Bats was just taking care of some low-lifes. But when I looked up, away from the ruckus Bruce caused, I saw you. I thought it was either Stephanie or Cass, but I saw your red hair flowing and that good old Gordon smile and I knew, without a doubt, that was you. The last time I saw you, you were still in that chair. That godforsaken chair," he mentioned with fists clenched.

Barbara knew that Jason hated that chair when she was became Oracle. Not because he thought it made her weak or made her less attractive, but because the person who put her in that thing was the same person that took Jason's life when he was just a boy, taking up the mantle as the new Robin. It was funny how the bloody acts that white-faced psychopath inflicted upon them gave them reason to become closer in terms of friendship and family. He waved it off, finally relaxing, and continued.

"I've never seen you so agile before. So relaxed and in touch with yourself. You were like the Barbie I met when I was Robin. You even gave me chills when I heard you crack a skull or two. Not that you weren't badass when you were Oracle, of course. Just saying it was like seeing a new Barbara Gordon. Anyways, when you were taking care of all those henchmen, I thought it was best for me to, you know, watch over you. To make sure you don't hurt yourself or letting them hurt you. But when I saw you taking down Penguin like it was nothing, like second nature, I figured you didn't need my help after all. So I left the docks and went to the restaurant, and you know the rest."

Barbara listened to every word that escaped his mouth, but she still couldn't believe what exactly she was hearing. He was there at the docks because he was watching over, maybe even ogling her by the way he was talking, and just being her little dark guardian angel. She was kind of flattered. And it scared her.

"You know I can take care of myself, Jason. I appreciate what you were trying to do, but it really isn't necessary," she said, staring at the floor.

"I know. But ever since I came back, I've only seen you as Oracle. Now that you're Batgirl again, I just wanted to make sure you didn't exert yourself too much, or do something that could hurt your legs or something. I just want you to be all right," he said solemnly. "We were both hurt by The Joker, you know? We watch out for each other."

"Jason, we're family. We watch out for each other regardless," she said smiling.

"Still, I like to think that our tragedies bring us closer. Don't you?" Jason asked softly, and slyly according to Barbara. He was walking slowly towards her, making her back away, afraid, not of him, but the circumstances that awaits. Her back found the console of the Batcomputer, with Jason close to her front.

"Jason," she breathed, blushing slightly making its way to her cheeks. "W-We should be looking for…for Bruce and D-Damian."

"We will," he promised softly. "But I have to do this first. To let you know how much you mean to me, how much I can't stop thinking about you, day and night. Let me show you. Please."

He tilted his head, closed his eyes as he slowly brought his face towards hers. Her eyes closed also, anticipating the moment when Jason's lips find hers, just like how she wanted it for years, even in the later years of her and Dick's relationship. He was tall, built, handsome, a smooth talker, and from the short time together they spent these last couple of days, he was sensitive, about his past, about hers, about all those small moments they spent together, and it was clear that he actually cared about her in ways she never thought he did. So when she felt the heat of Jason's mouth so close to hers, her legs turned to jelly and her mind went blank as her mouth was taken by his.

_This is…really happening. He's kissing me. He's kissing me! _Barbara thought.

The taste, the sensation, the electricity of his lips brought back memories of happiness and bliss from years past future, from when she first met Jason to the day he died, all the way to now, and nothing was more fulfilling than to be kissed by the man she once thought of as a Prodigal Nightmare, instead of the Prodigal Son. That's Nightwing's job.

Jason was actually just as excited, if not more. He had been dreaming about kissing Barbara ever since he put on the Robin outfit for the first time. After all that time being in Nightwing's shadow, he felt he needed to be stronger, faster, and better than Dick ever could to make the love of his life notice him in any way that wasn't just that of a little brother. But when he came back from the dead, via Lazarus Pit, courtesy of Talia al Ghul, he gave up the idea of ever being with her. No one wants a zombie for a boyfriend. He tried, for years, to give up the thought of being with Barbie by living in the limelight as a gunslinging, helmet wearing, playboy vigilante, but it was all for nothing when he came back to Gotham to rid the world of both The Joker, and Batman. But when he failed on both attempts, he left the city and started anew. Now, being basked in the warmness and love of Barbara Gordon, he never imagined anything else that could make him happier, more whole in his entire life.

He brought his lips away from hers, reluctantly he might add, to finally let them breath. After a few moments of comfortable and loving silence, he put his strong hands on top of her small shoulders and spoke.

"We will find them, Barbie. We'll find them both and bring an end to Hush's game." He brought his hands to hers and held them for the longest time. "Together."

She gave Jason's hands a squeeze of her own and chanted his last word, as if it was a prayer.

"Together."

The hallway itself was something extraordinary: lush with rugs and busts depicting the faces of the ancestors of the Cobblpot family. The walls were boarded with mahogany wood, covered up by famous paintings from all generations of artists from van Gogh to DaVinci to Michelangelo. The chandeliers were bright with laminating light that could blind a fly if it could, but it really only highlighted the grandeur of the small hallway that led up to the casino of the ship.

That ship being The Final Offer.

The two figures were both walking to the golden double doors that led to said casino, silent until the smaller one, though still relatively tall, began to make conversation.

"Why are we here, Hush? This is Penguin's territory. How did you manage to take this jewel away from that tiny kingpin?" Killer Moth asked, with his lime green helmet and asylum jumpsuit still on.

"You don't listen to the news, do you Walker?" Hush said with a sinister smile on his bandaged face. "Batman and Batgirl put Penguin and his hired help away to Blackgate. The GCPD also managed to confiscate all of the weapons that Cobblepot was supposed to keep locked and tight, leaving the ship alone for me to keep as my own base of operations."

"Okay, that explains what happened to Penguin, but you still haven't answered me as to why you wanted this ship in the first place."

"Why tell you, when I can show you?" Hush asked when he and Killer Moth finally reached the doors to the casino and opened it wide. Inside were the usual casino games and furniture: pool tables, blackjack tables, slots, dart boards and an open bar. But none of the famous Gotham rogues inside the room were playing any of the games, simply cleaning up their weapons and shining up their armor for when they make haste to face off against the princess of Gotham.

"Killer Croc? Mad Hatter? Scarecrow, Slade, Firefly? Why do you have all these villains here, Hush?" Drury asked, slightly afraid.

"Don't forget us, Moth," said the man on the other side of the casino. Killer Moth turned his head and saw other rogues such as The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Professor Pyg, and even Mister Freeze all huddled up together like an old gang, just as ready as the others Walker saw.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first ever meeting of the Injustice Lords of Gotham. I, Dr. Thomas Elliot, PhD, also known as Hush, have gathered you all here for the sole reason of finally taking down the last known children of the Batman. We have already managed to apprehend the Dark Knight and his Boy Wonder. While Nightwing and Red Robin are not in our radar as of late, once we eradicate this city of Batgirl and Red Hood, they'll be reeled in like fish on our fishing rod. Penguin had already failed us in capturing Batman and Robin, but his being put in prison has given us a grand opportunity. The weapons confiscated by the police are still in Gotham, which means if they haven't already figured out Nygma's puzzle by then, one of you will raid the station and try to bring in as many weapons as you can to attract the Dynamic Duo," explained Hush.

"Why does all of this have anything to do with Mothy here, Bandage-Face," Harley Quinn asked.

"Drury Walker has a sort of history with Batgirl, making him the perfect candidate to face her head on. He may have been unsuccessful in trying to complete his mission in killing Batman and Robin ten years ago, but now he will have the chance to right his wrongs and join us on our quest to save Gotham from the Batfamily and hopefully, the world," Hush said as he brought Moth to the center of the room to prove his point that he had faith in Walker in this mission.

"Even if this plan does go accordingly, Elliot, how do you know Batman or Robin won't just escape and foil it all like the hundreds of times they've done to us in the past?" asked Slade, with an armored version of his classic attire as he sat on one of the chairs ninja-style, polishing his blade with an iron block.

"O ye of little faith, Deathstroke. In case you haven't noticed, I used Dr. Crane's fear toxins and injected them so they'll be too busy facing their fears to care what happens to us here in the outside world. We only used a small dosage so they won't keel over too early in the objective. Once the toxin appears to be wearing out, Crane will just have to administer another dosage. Simple as that," Hush explained once again. "Oh, I almost forgot. Firefly. Get Drury his gear. He's going to need it."

Firefly, the mechanized pyromaniac and one of Killer Moths old friends, walked back to a glass case where Walkers outfit from ten years ago was showcased and brought over to him in Firefly's hands.

"Here you go, bud. Good as new," Firefly said. Moth took the uniform as if it was his first time. With child-like enthusiasm, he put on the Mothsuit on top of his asylum jumpsuit, holstered his Mothguns and buckled his utility belt and his Mothwings, once again becoming the rogue that was defeated long ago by that insignificant Ginger-Bat. His blood boiled as his memories came back to him, finally giving him reason to work alongside Thomas Elliot in his mission to eradicate the Bats this city praised as their heroes. He will kill them, but more importantly, he will kill her. He will kill that red-headed Batgirl for what he had done to him.

"Are you ready, Walker?" Hush asked, sensing Moth's anger and determination after he put on the suit.

"There is no Drury Walker anymore, nor Cameron van Cleer. My name is Killer Moth, and Batgirl will die."

Hush smiled wickedly. His plan was going perfectly. Soon, in only a matter of days, the Batfamily will be executed and Gotham will be his.

"Excellent. First things first, someone needs to go to the GCPD and start a raid to distract the guards while they grab the weapons we need for the rest of our mission. Harley and Pamela, I'm sending you two. Ivy will use her pollen to brainwash the convicts inside while Harley takes out the guards that try to stop her and grab the guns. Once Batgirl and Red Hood head there, they'll try to stop you, but whatever you do, do not let them. If you need help, I'll send in Deathstroke as backup, but make sure to bring the guns here as soon as you can. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Harley yelled in mock salute as if she were an army cadet.

"I take offense to that," Slade said to Quinn, to which she clearly ignored.

"Tomorrow, the war against Gotham's heroes begins and soon, the city will be ours. Batman will suffer, and the world will know that one of its heroes has fallen." He raised his arms as if he was a preacher in church. "Long live the Injustice Lords! Long. Live. GOTHAM!"

As they all cheered and roared in unison, Hush felt that, for once in his villain career, he would finally be praised, not only as a rogue, but as a savior, a saint.

A god.

Coming Soon- The Prodigal Nightmare Ch.7: The Sirens Strike Back

"_I am Naught, The President, and I approve this message."_


	7. The Sirens Strike Back

What is happening, ladies and gentlemen?

Looks like we got ourselves a team name for the rogues of Gotham City. The Injustice Lords of Gotham. I kinda took the name, Justice Lords, which were a dictator Justice League in the future, and used it to name this group, even though I OWN NOTHING.

If you guys don't like the name and want me to make another name for this evil community, leave me a comment, saying what other name I should put in. Please be respectful, though.

Also, after hearing the news about the cast for the Suicide Squad movie coming after Batman vs. Superman, this chapter kinda seemed appropriate for me to post. So, without further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: Batman and other DC characters mentioned are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Enjoy!

The Prodigal Nightmare

Ch. 7: The Sirens Strike Back

The feeling inside the Batcave later that night, temperature wise, was relatively chilly, given the fact that the atmosphere of it all was filled with dark shadows and small waterfalls within the interior of the hideout. But while Barbara and Jason were at several consoles n the main room of the Batcave trying to figure out what the code on the back of the postcard with The Final Offer on it, the tension was almost nonexistent. In fact, they were acting as if they were one person: Barbara searching several databases regarding the code, believing it to be a number for a bank account somewhere in Gotham, while Jason was checking different street addresses that seemed important enough for them to consider as a hideout or future attack. Whatever the code was, they were both on it like a well-oiled machine.

"I've looked up several street addresses with that damned number, and all I've been able to find was a burger joint in Central City and the bottom of a freeway in Keystone. So far, I've got nothing," Jason complained, tussling his black hair, making it unruly. "How's everything on your end, Barbie?"

"Not good. None of the bank accounts I've looked up with the number 010115 have anything of value as far as I could tell. But I'm not giving up after one lousy night of research."

Jason smiled at that. Barbara, just like the rest of the Batfamily, including himself, was quite stubborn. She never took losing lightly, and after not having found anything with that stupid code, he knew she would never stop until she got what she wanted, and what she wanted right now was to see Hush and that loser, Killer Moth, in padded rooms with the doors bolted tight.

They spent another good hour trying to find something, anything, that would give them the slightest a clue as to what the code might be, finally ending up with some sort of evidence that could finally debunk what was so important about those six miniscule numbers, which was displayed on the Batcomputer's monitor.

"Okay, after some serious illegal hacking into major criminal databases all over the globe, which I am not necessarily proud of, I've managed to pull up some mugshots of hard-hitting criminals that could be working with Hush and Moth," Barbara said as she pulled up the photos of seven angry-looking criminals, all having the number 010115 below their faces, most likely being their prison number.

"Terrorists?" Jason simply asked.

"Some are. The one on the top left is named Luka Volk, founder of a Ukrainian mob called the Whisper Gang. He was later incarcerated for planting bombs in a Kiev Metro subway rail. The one on the bottom right is an unknown, but his allies call him Bird. Apparently, he helped Bane escape from Pena Dura back in Cuba, but that remains to be seen. All of these guys have our code as their prison numbers, but they're all in different countries. It's kind of weird that Hush would want us to investigate these dirtbags and call him back as soon as we've figured it out."

"Maybe he just wants us to take them out, given that he knows that I'm in this as much as you are," Jason commented.

"First off, we're not gonna be killing anybody, Jason. Second, even if he did wanted us to kill them, the question still remains: why? Why would he want us to assassinate these criminals when they clearly have no relation or association with him? They're all just random scumbags with the same number on their jumpsuits, so why even bother?"

"Right now, I just want to find Elliot and choke him with his own bandages than sit around here, trying to find out this stupid riddle of a code all day and…" Jason suddenly stopped, rethinking what he had just said.

"Jason, what is it?" Barbara asked with worry. He clearly wasn't listening to her, as he ran to the small elevator on the far side of the cave and turned around to face Barbara.

"Barbie, where's the Trophy Room?" Jason asked frantically.

"Sub-level 3, where it always is. Jason what's going on?"

"Follow me. I have an idea."

After entering the elevator, making their way deeper into the bowels of the cave where Batman held several monuments and souvenirs showcasing the many of his famous foes. Once the doors to the Trophy Room opened, they made their way to the very back of the room. As they were walking rapidly to their destination, they couldn't help but gaze at the monuments of the room: the Tyrannosaurus Rex, meant to resemble the villain, Killer Croc; the giant penny, Two-Face's symbol of justice and choice; a large Joker card hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room, showing the face of the madman that ruined many innocent lives in Gotham, including the two heroes walking.

Barbara stopped gazing at the plastic exhibitions within the room, only to look at Jason opening a glass case with a very intricately designed Riddler Trophy inside. Jason pulled it out and smiled at her as he made his way back to the Batcomputer, with Barbara not far behind.

The interior of the GCPD lobby room was both warm, trying to melt down the frigidness that was brought on by the cold Christmas Eve night, and loud as the criminals that were being dragged away by the cops who worked there were trying, rather unsuccessfully, that they were innocent and demanded a lawyer. It's been this way for years, but during Christmas Eve, or any other holiday, for that matter, the GCPD was always hectic with loud and obnoxious screaming from people convicted of things they don't want to admit they did. Ironically, this wasn't the work of Julius Day, AKA Calendar Man.

The holidays have always been caused criminals to come out of the shadows and raise some chaos in the dark streets of the city. Whether it'd be robbing an electronic store, or breaking into a nearby house apartment in the Bowery or Park Row, Christmastime has always been the number one day for the good men and women of Gotham's police force to put their jobs first and their families second, even for just a couple of hours.

So it was rather unusual for the commissioner, James Gordon, and his trusted "sidekick," Harvey Bullock, to find two women walk through the front door rather casually and just stood there, as if they were expecting someone. The two women were wearing dark colored hoodies with their hoods up to hide their faces, one a dark green and the other a blood red, both wearing black skinny jeans and black combat boots. If one wasn't careful, one would suspect they were a gender-bend version of Green Arrow and Arsenal, but that wasn't the case right now. Besides, who cosplays just before Christmas?

"What's with the two broads over there, Jimbo?" Bullock whispered to his buddy/apprentice.

"I don't know, Harvey. Let's just send in Diaz to ask them what's up," Gordon told him. He turned to face the rookie officer, Brany Diaz, and told him to help out the two hooded ladies at the front of the entrance. Diaz nodded and walked towards them.

"Can I help you two ladies with anything?" he asked the women politely. They did not answer, but the one in the green hoodie, who was actually taller than the one in the red one but still quite short compared to the rookie, walked over to him, pulled out her open hand, revealing a small cloud of pollen, and blew it to his face. Diaz tried to swat away the cloud, but was too late as it already made contact with his skin and his airways. He stopped trying to slap at the air and opened his eyes wide, pupils dilated and body stiff as a brick, hypnotized as he fell prey to the pollen from the mysterious seductress.

"Actually, you can help us," the woman in green said lustfully. She walked up to him until she was close enough to whisper in his ear. "I want you to pull out your gun, and point it at the commissioner." The hypnotized man did as she told him without a second's hesitation and pointed his gun at his employer, catching everyone's attention, including the commissioner's.

"Diaz! What the hell are you doing?!" Gordon asked him, with Bullock close by. The officers all around them were holding on to their pistols, ready for when the young cop decided to fire at him.

The woman in green walked up to the man's back, hands on his shoulders as if he was her lover, and whispered in his ear one more time.

"Fire."

He pulled the trigger, firing one single bullet into the abdomen of the commissioner, causing every cop in the room to pull out their guns from their holsters, ready to fire at the rogue cop, but before they could, they heard gunfire that wasn't their own. They looked at the woman in the red hoodie and saw that she had a gun herself, though it looked a bit comical to be real.

"Nuh, uh, uh. I don't think so, blockheads," the woman in the red hoodie said in a strong North Gotham accent. She pulled down her hood and revealed her face: skin painted white with blond pigtails, the ends colored in either red or black, and red lipstick shining on her full lips.

As soon as the woman in red unhooded herself, her friend in the green hood did the same thing. Her the skin on her face was a grassy green, with hair red as a rose. Her eyes were just as green as her skin, probably more so, and was now in possession of a young cop to do her bidding.

"Great. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Just what we needed to make this day more exciting," Commissioner Gordon grumbled sarcastically. He tore away his buttoned shirt, revealing his Kevlar vest with the bullet still stuck in it.

"Boss, you were wearing a vest under there?" Bullock asked in confusion.

"Oh, like you don't, Bullock."

"Now don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. All we want are the weapons you confiscated from Cobblepot. If you give them to us peacefully, no one gets hurt. Do we have a deal?" Ivy asked.

"Not a chance. Bullock, light up the Batsignal!" Gordon commanded. Bullock ran to the doorway leading to the roof of the building where the famous Batsignal was located. Ivy was clearly annoyed, so much so that she put her hands around poor cop's neck and head and twisted it violently, snapping his neck in two.

"This could've gotten a whole lot easier, Gordon," Ivy chastised.

"We don't make deals with criminals, Isley. The city doesn't belong to you or your friends anymore," Gordon sneered as he pulled out his own pistol, ready to fire at the green psychopath who killed one of his own.

"It already has, Commissioner," Ivy grinned. "Harley, get the fat one. We don't want Princess and Helmet-Head to get in the way."

"You got it, Bae-Bae," Harley saluted as she ran and twirled to the staircase leading to the roof.

The door to the roof of the building was flung open by Harvey Bullock, panting with exhaustion as he finally made it to the Batsignal, a searchlight the police use whenever there's some sort of distress in the city that only Batman and his many allies could handle. As soon as Bullock's finger made contact with the switch, about to turn it on, a bullet ricocheted off of the metal centimeters away from his hand, scaring him enough to turn him around to find out who pulled the trigger.

"I don't think you want to do that, Fatso," Harley singed as she threw away the rest of her disguise, revealing her classic black and red outfit, complete with smoking pistol in one hand and a large wooden mallet in the other.

"Oh yeah? Watch me, toots," said Bullock as he turned on the Batsignal, revealing the silhouette of a bat against the cloudy night sky. He admired both the signal itself and his rebellion against the Cupid of Crime, until he turned around and was nearly struck with Quinn's hammer, until he moved farther and farther away every time she swung the lethal tool.

"Come on, Fatso. Just stand still so I can give you a boo-boo. To the face!" she screamed as she swung once more.

The Riddler Trophy was sitting pathetically on the lab table, along with criminal files and blueprints of several devices Batman and his other allies would manufacture themselves. The trophy itself was somewhat simple: a fluorescent question mark on top of a steel base that literally worked like clockwork. What many of the Bats and Robins knew was that, even though Edward Nygma was a genius when it comes to puzzles and riddles, given his alias, he was not very bright when it came to the mechanics of tracing phone calls or specific frequencies found when someone would find one of these infamous question marks.

Jason knew this, which is why he was going to rip the thing apart until he found what he was looking for.

After spending some minutes just tearing the thing apart until all the gears and metal plates were skewed everywhere on the table, he finally found a major clue he and Barbara could use to find Hush and save Bruce and Damian from their clutches.

"Jason! The Batsignal is up and Bullock's in trouble," Barbara yelled as she stepped away from the Batcomputer where the monitor showed the GCPD under fire from the inside.

"Then let's get rolling," Jason said as he left the trophy and his clue to mount his motorcycle next to Batgirl and rode off to save some cops.

_Oh how the mighty have fallen_, Red Hood thought.

From the time Bullock ran off to turn off the Batsignal with Harley Quinn chasing after him, Poison Ivy had already taken control of four other GCPD officers to fire at Gordon, with only two others not having been brainwashed to aid him. Jim crouched down on the side of a cubicle in the Bullpen of the building. His two partners are on either side of him near other cubicles, trying to hide from the mind-controlled policemen.

Gordon peeked from the side of the cubicle to see Isley standing on one of the gargoyles, watching her minions as they violently inspect each individual section until they find Gordon and the others. He didn't plan on killing them or Ivy to stop the external influence on their minds, but he would not hesitate to knock them unconscious so they would quit trying to kill them. One of the officers, as Gordon saw, was about to reach the cubicle he was hiding at, so he pulled him in and smashed his head through the glass, followed by a foot the face after he was thrown to the floor. Gordon knew that would catch the other two officer's attention, but he could handle it. You don't befriend someone like the Batman and not learn a few tricks. Plus, if the other mind-controlled policemen are focused on him, the ones who aren't brainwashed could tackle Poison Ivy and hopefully take her out, but that difficult to do. Still, there's hope.

As predicted, the two hypnotized men in blue had the commissioner surrounded with SWAT-grade rifles in hand, pointing at Jim's head. He slowly raised his hands, feigning surrender, when he quickly looked over at the desk behind him and saw, for a second before he looked back at them, a small potted plant and threw the dreadful plant at one of the men's heads, sending him to the floor. The other man tried to mark him with bullets as he pulled the trigger, but Gordon was fast enough to snatch the fire extinguisher from the wall and swung it at the gun, knocking it from the man's hands, and swung again at his head. He heard the officer behind him stand up, so Jim fired the white, cloudy substance at him and smacked his head, as well, knocking him unconscious.

He was catching his breath when he heard two sets of screams coming from the front door of the Bullpen, so he ran out of the cubicle and what he saw was quite frightening. Large, grotesque vines protruding from the other cubicles in front of him, probably from the other potted plants, dangling Gordon's backup like ragdolls, while Poison Ivy stands there, still on the gargoyle, laughing maniacally.

"Do you honestly believe that two men could possibly bring me down, commissioner? You of all people should know that I am not someone to underestimate. Now you will pay the price," Ivy said as she conjured other monstrous vines from behind him to capture him like his partners. But before they could reach him, they were all sliced in half, spewing bright green liquid at Gordon, by a signature Batarang, which spun back to the hand of one red-headed, bat clad superheroine.

"You got a weeding problem, Commish?" asked Batgirl with Red Hood right beside her.

Coming Soon- The Prodigal Nightmare Ch. 8: Let The Games Begin

"_I am Naught, The President, and I approve this message."_


	8. Let the Games Begin!

What is happening, ladies and gentlemen?

Sorry if last chapter's ending seemed a little rushed, but I just wanted to post it so much, I didn't care at the time. But I promise I'll try to make this chapter more balanced.

Speaking of this chapter, I tried my best to make the fight scenes more realistic and dynamic as possible without losing your interest, so please don't flame.

Also, for those who want to see more _Titans: Chapel of Blood_, I'll probably post Chapter 2 after this. So, without the further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: Batman and other DC characters mentioned are property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Enjoy!

The Prodigal Nightmare

Chapter 8: Let the Games Begin

"You got a weeding problem, Commish?" said Batgirl, with Red Hood right beside her. "Red, go to the roof and take care of Harley, but no killing."

"You gotta take the fun out of everything, dontcha?" Red Hood asked jokingly before he ran to the door leading to the roof where Harley and Bullock were. In the meantime, Batgirl ran to her father as he stood straight up to meet the red-head.

"Batgirl, thank God you're here," Jim exhaled as he ran to her side.

"Don't be thanking Him just yet, Gordon. We've got many plans in store for you two," Poison Ivy said as the vines Batgirl sliced in half re-grew to try and take care of her and Gordon. The commissioner pulled out his handgun while his daughter, whom he still doesn't know is the heroine beside him, pulls out another sharp-edged Batarang and a grapple gun.

"You hit low, I'll hit high," Batgirl whispered to her father.

"As long as it keeps us alive," Gordon responded.

On the roof of the establishment, Harley Quinn was standing over an unconscious Harvey Bullock, who was tied up as if he was a baby cow in a rodeo. She stood a little far back to admire her work and when she thought it was perfect, she took out her cell phone and snapped a picture of it, planning on sharing it on her Chirper account.

"Man, I'm gonna get so many likes from this," she sang as she typed away on her phone, until it was shot away from her hand, shocking her with a squeal.

"Never knew super-villains had social lives outside of robbing banks and terrorizing cities," Red Hood said as he stood outside the door to the roof, still pointed his gun, barrel smoking slightly, at the Cupid of Crime.

"That was my favorite phone, ya jerk!" screamed Harley Quinn, pulling out her large mallet from the ground. "Now I'm gonna turn yer head into a bright red PANCAKE!" She ran towards the vigilante as she started swinging her hammer around at him, constantly missing while he swerved left and right with ease, making her all the more angrier.

"C'mon, Harley, you can do better than that. What, afraid you might hurt me? It's probably the helmet. Brings back fond memories, doesn't it?" Jason remarked. With a furious holler, she ran towards him, planning to squash him with a downward attack, but Hood unfurled his razor-sharp electric wings beneath the sleeves of his brown leather jacket and blocked it by crossing his arms above his head, catching the neck of the hammer in between the blades of his wings. He then uncrossed his arms rapidly, slicing the giant mallet in two.

"No more hammer for you, Quinn," Jason kept remarking.

"Yeah, no more hammer," Harley said dejectedly with her head down. "So how about ya EAT LEAD, TOMATO FACE!" she screamed angrily as she pulled out two cartoon-ish pistols from her belt and fired away like a mad man. Thankfully, after many years of assassin training from Talia and her many "tutors," he was able to deflect every one of her bullets with a few of his own, the bullets making contact instantly.

After several moments of just shooting at each other, they skipped the formalities and ran toward each other in a rage, fists clenched as they fought hand-to-hand. For Jason, Harley was actually a well-trained fighter; one minute she's boxing, the next she pulls out some Krav-maga techniques.

_Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Ninjitsu, _Jason thought. _This lady's got it all!_

With all the fists flying left and right, blocking and executing each other's strikes, they were left breathless and sweating, regaining their composure so they'll be ready for the next round.

"You're pretty good, Doll-face. Too bad I have to put you behind bars," Jason commented.

"I don't think so," Harley said before she pressed her fingers to her earpiece and spoke. "Hush, send in Colonel Sanders. We're gonna need some heavy-hittin'."

_"Sending Slade right now, Quinn," _Red Hood heard.

_Harley and Ivy are working for Hush?! And so is Deathstroke?! The hell is going on here? _Jason exclaimed in his head.

A huge vine slammed down on the tiled floor, missing the red-headed super-heroine by only a smidge, but nevertheless failed to squish her down. She pulled out her electric brass knuckles and began jabbing left and right at the closest botanical creatures, causing Ivy to nearly falter on the gargoyle above her and her father, but she regained her composure just as quickly and manipulated another vine to attack her.

"These things just don't give up. How are we supposed to take down Ivy when she's controlling a friggin' rainforest?!" Gordon exclaimed as he fired the rest of his bullets at a nearby vine, ending up just throwing the offending pistol at it.

"We have to knock her down if we want these vines to stop attacking, but they're just too thick to cut through," Barbara said when she finished knocking down another grotesque vine, and pulled out her Batarangs, using them as knives. She ran towards the vine closest to her and sliced it in two, showering her in the plant's chlorophyll.

"Stop! Stop hurting my babies!" Ivy yelled, holding her head as if she was having a migraine. She screamed bloody murder as she controlled the vines once again, causing them to sprout out protective spikes and thrusted themselves toward Batgirl and the Commissioner.

Barbara, afraid of the evil plants that were about to impale her, used her acrobatics to dodge out of the way, making the botanical creatures miss every time. She pulled out a freeze grenade, the only utilities left in her belt after spending the rest on Ivy's vines, and threw it at the closest creature. The vine caught the impact of the grenade going off and froze completely. This made her come up with a new idea.

"Da—uh, I mean, Commissioner! I have an idea! Do you see a fire extinguisher nearby?" Barbara yelled out. Gordon actually just got done cutting down a smaller vine with a pair of scissors. After searching the cubicle where he was stationed at, he found a fire extinguisher on the left corner of the cubicle and tossed it to her.

Being a member of the Batfamily, Barbara knows the ins and outs of most scientific mechanics, one of which was cryogenics, mainly used to battle Mr. Freeze and his cohorts. She also knows the different chemicals found in the fire extinguisher and in the freeze grenades, finding out that the chemicals together could combust, not in a fiery explosion, but in a frozen blast. At least, in theory.

As she took out another freeze grenade from her belt while still holding the fire extinguisher in the other hand, she threw the red canister at the monstrous vines, and just as quickly threw the freeze grenade directly at the canister. Prepared for a huge arctic explosion, she shielded herself with her cape and told her dad to get down, which he did, and waited.

Little did she know that the combustion between the two fire-fighting objects would be a little more powerful than anticipated. So much so that the explosion almost caused her to fall over, falling prey to the ice, snow, and bitter wind it caused. While the frozen blast only lasted a few seconds, it seemed like it took a whole lot longer until she slowly, cautiously, moved her cape to the side to see the damage done to the botanical monstrosities.

The vines did a lot more than just freeze: they were frozen, sliced open, and impaled by huge spikes and small darts of synthetic ice. The cracking sound of ice continuing to expand on the surface of the vines was the only sound that was resonating and bouncing off of the walls of the Bullpen. Barbara was amazed at the damage she caused; she only thought the explosion would just freeze them solid, not ice and dice them. She looked up and expected to see an angry botanic kinetic, but what she saw instead was an unconscious Poison Ivy with small bundles of snow on her shoulders and back, as she was on her stomach with her arms dangling off the gargoyle. Barbara, not wanting her to freeze to death, even if she was evil, grappled onto the gargoyle and grabbed Ivy, carrying her down and giving her pale, shivering form to her father.

"Take Isley to the warmest place in the building. But keep her locked up and away from any plants as possible. Not even a single leaf," Barbara said no-nonsense like.

"I get it, I get it. I've been in this business since before you were born; I think I know what I'm doing," Gordon nearly snapped at her. Barbara ever rarely had her father yell at her before, which made her unconsciously drop her head down, like a child who got caught doing something bad and was facing punishment from her parents.

Gordon saw her reaction to his yelling at her and immediately regretted it. She looked so much like his baby girl. The red hair, the heart-shaped face, the blue eyes, it was just like he was staring at his own daughter in a bat-uniform. He sighed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which made her lock her eyes back at Gordon.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. You just look so much like my daughter, Barbara. She's been living by herself for so long, it seems like, everywhere I look, she's right here with me. I sound crazy, don't I?" Gordon asked with a nervous smile. The very one that used to make Barbara smile and laugh all the time when she was little. Now was no exception. She smiled wide and had herself a small laugh before speaking.

"No, you're not crazy, Commissioner. You're just being a dad. An overprotective one, I might add. Don't worry so much about her living by herself; I have a gut feeling she'll be just fine," Batgirl said smiling. The nervousness that was stuck in Gordon's stomach was still present, but after hearing Batgirl's strangely comforting words, it wasn't all that bad. Until Barbara's radio went off.

_"Batgirl, where are you?! Harley's got Deathstroke here, and they're working for Elliot. They all are! Get up here, now!" _Red Hood screamed over the two-way radio. Barbara's eyes went wide opened and gave Ivy to Gordon so she can make her way to the roof.

"Batgirl, where are you?! Harley's got Deathstroke here, and they're working for Elliot. They all are! Get up here, now!" Red Hood screamed over the two-way radio. The engines of the helicopter above him made it difficult to talk to the thing while also trying to fight off a crazy clown lady on the roof of a police station where it was currently being taken over by a psychotic plant bender. Even by Jason's standards, it was not a good night.

The helicopter above him was loud, almost deafening enough for him not to notice that the world's most dangerous mercenary, next to Jason in his mind, Deathstroke, the Terminator, was in that chopper, waiting to drop down and raise hell on his big red helmet.

That's actually what he did. Jason saw Deathstroke set foot on the edge of the open doorway on the side of the chopper, looking down on his own reflection on the Red Hood's helmet and drooped down on him so fast, Jason didn't even see Slade's heavily armored foot being pressed against his shielded face. Before Jason's back could even make contact with the floor of the roof, Slade used his momentum and bounced off Jay's helmet, landing effortlessly on his two feet.

"Hello, Red Hood," Deathstroke said ominously, as if he took speaking lessons from Batman himself, as he unsheathed one of his two Promethium Swords strapped across his back. "Are you ready to die?"

"Maybe someday, but not today," Red Hood said as he unholstered his signature red colored pistols, the ones he only used on special occasions, but since Harley made him waste all his ammo, they'll have to do. He fired violently against the one-eyed assassin, but even Slade was too experienced to get hit by any of his rounds as he dodged and sliced every one of bullets still in the air and appeared himself in front of Jason, giving him a heavy uppercut to the jaw.

While the battle between the two gunslingers was going on, Harley was tiptoeing to the edge of the roof, expecting not to get caught by anymore Bats or Robins. Of course, she was going to go back to get Ivy, but right now, her main priority was to get the hell out of dodge.

"And where do you think you're going, young lady?" Harley heard behind her. She turned around, hoping to find Poison Ivy there, but instead got a golden-gloved fist to the face, then a boot of the same color slamming against her chest as she hit the ground. Harley may have lost her breath but she still had the strength to look up at the person who took her down by surprise.

"If I've said this once, I've said it a thousand times: I really hate clowns," Batgirl said as she raised her boot that was planted on Harley's chest and dropped it down on her head, rendering her unconscious. She looked back at Jason and found him having a round of fisticuffs with Deathstroke, and losing.

_I can't just stand here and watch him get killed, I have to do something!_ Barbara thought as she got her bearings and ran towards the two mercenaries, praying not to die in the process. But before she could, she was thrown down on the floor by a petite figure with multicolored pigtails.

"I am not a clown, toots. I'm a harlequin," Harley, now conscious, said to her. She paused for a moment in recollection of what she just said and finally caught on. "Hey, harlequin! I just got that!"

Barbara had never wanted to facepalm so hard in her entire life.

Jason was trying to block his attacks, he really was, but Slade was too experienced, not to mention he has the ability to use 90% of his brain during mid-combat, so Jason would have to endure getting the beating worthy of a mass killer.

After receiving numerous punches and kicks to the gut, head, legs, and other places by Slade Wilson, the one-eyed swordsman raised his Promethium blade to strike down on the Red Hood. Once Slade brought the blade down upon him, Jason quickly sandwiched the blade between his palms, catching it in his iron grip. He then sweeped his leg under Deathstroke's feet, causing him to fall back, only to get back up, unsheathe his other blade and swipe at his current enemy, only to clash it with his other blade, in the hands of the Red Hood.

They both clenched their eyes slightly at each other, determined to finish each other off and claim their victory. They both stepped back and swiped at each other full force, blade versus blade, mercenary versus mercenary, the only differences are their alliances, whether they fight for the Batman and his family, or for Hush's criminal organization of super-villains.

The clashing, metallic sounds of blades making contact were random, loud, and violent as Jason and Slade duked it out like two trained samurai, fighting for the future of their feudal lands, taking no prisoners and leaving no room for error. Each of their fighting styles were like they were one and the same; they countered each other's moves in perfect formation, striking at each other with equal ferocity and determination. After a few minutes of swordplay, both of the swordsmen jumped away from each other.

"You're actually quite the adversary. Not even the Batman was so ferocious with a blade," Deathstroke praised while still holding a firm grip on his sword.

"You know, if there's one thing I hate more than anything else…" Red Hood began as he ran towards Slade, who was waiting to clash blades once more with Jason, but instead he jumped over the one-eyed mercenary, surprising him in the process, and powered up his electric wings, sending electrical charges through his gloves to the blade.

"It's being… compared… to…" Jason used all of his power in the gloves to create a perfect electric powered Promethium Sword. "…BATMAN!" He violently and remorselessly struck Slade from behind, through his abdomen, with surges of electricity flying at all angles, from front and back, while the flesh exposed was immediately cauterized by the burning surges of electricity. When the flashes of lightning expired, leaving silence in its wake, Jason pulled out the sword from Slade's gut and threw it aside just before Slade fell to his knees, then lay flat unceremoniously head-first.

Jason unclasped his arm-wings and threw them away, as they had no juice left in them and were rendered useless, and saw Barbara finishing up on cuffing Quinn. When she was done, she looked at him for a moment, quite longingly in fact, then looked at Slade's burned body.

"Red, what the hell did you do?" Batgirl asked, nearly yelling in either fear or anger.

"Relax, he has a healing factor, remember? He'll be back on his feet in about a week or so."

After hearing that, Jason saw her expression relax a bit, but he could tell she was still a bit ticked. The fact that he could've killed someone in cold blood unsettled her, even if that someone had an efficient, but slow, healing factor.

"We should probably head back to the Batcave. Get to work on that code," Jason said as he walked past her to jump off the roof and swiftly land on his feet in front of his motorbike. He looked up on the roof and saw Batgirl standing there, looking down on him. She looked away for a moment, with an expression on her face he never saw before, and followed him to her own bike, with no words said or even a batted eye in his direction, but he didn't pry her. Yet.

As soon as they left, two shadowy figures appeared before the prone, unconscious bodies of Deathstroke and Harley Quinn, picked them up, and left without a trace.

Coming Soon- The Prodigal Nightmare Ch. 9: Cold, Cold Heart

"_I am Naught, The President, and I approve this message." _


End file.
